The Way We Talk
by OtakuIsLove
Summary: Because being imprisoned together with Myrnin in his lab, having serious talks and occasional banters is what would work for them to fall for each other.
1. Chapter 1

The Way We Talk

Disclaimer: In no way do I own the Morganville Vampire series. Title is credited from The Maine's 'The Way We Talk' song. That is all.

"_When we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours,_

_We join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—_

_Call it love—true love"_

_ —Robert Fulghum_

Chapter One

Claire

"I _hate_ you! I _hate _you so much!"

To add effect, she took one of his glass beakers and slammed it on the floor, breaking it into a hundred thousand pieces of glittering glass. The smashing sound was there as well, resonating all around the laboratory walls.

That was how mad she was.

He didn't even flinch. Instead, he inserted his hands in his lab coat pockets and looked at her as if she was a puzzle he could not understand.

"Oh, and in case you haven't figured it out yet, I _quit!_"

With shaky fingers, she hastily grabbed all of her things. Her books, her school papers, her dysfunctional pens, and stuffed them on her bag. Swiftly, she took off her lab coat and dumped them on the chair. She saw him watching her as she did all these, and it made her even madder that she had gotten no reaction from him. Not so much as a sorry or a pleading remark. This made her want to dump a chemical into his head and watch him burn

She enjoyed that vision very much.

With her heart pounding, she made her way out his lab.

"Claire" he said softly

Her hand froze on the door handle "What? Are you going to justify yourself for what you've done?"

"No" He looked away—in shame—then back at her, his eyes full of concern "Be careful out there"

If possible, that made her even more annoyed at him. Clearly, there are more words in the English dictionary that could help him calm her down or something. But no, he settled into four useless words. She hated that he was still so concerned of her safety even when she was chucking his laboratory apparatuses on the floor.

She should've aimed it at him, all those test tubes and microscopes.

"Screw you, Myrnin"

With that, she pulled the door open, not looking back even when she heard him say "Please. I need you"

She closed the door behind her with a slam and took off into the late afternoon sunset, not caring what she would encounter. All that matters was that she was mad as hell at her _crazy vampire EX-boss_. Oh, how she hopes that she would never see him again, she really did.

OOO

She managed to go home safely that dusk. It was only when she was in front of the Glass House that she realized she was crying. Her angry tears streaked her cheeks uncontrollably, and her breathing was quicker than normal.

In short, she's a mess. And there was no way Shane and the others would see her like this, like she was a little helpless being. So she wiped her tears, and calmed herself down. When she was convinced that she was feeling collected at least, she opened the door.

It was only Eve she spotted, eating in the living room with a big bowl in her arms.

"Hey, CB!" said Eve, motioning her to sit beside her. She did. "You're early today. Did Myrnin bang his head and gained a bit of sanity?"

Claire gave her a bitter smile "No, I let myself out early."

Eve, always a bit of a psychic, looked up from her bowl at the tone of her voice "Did something happen? Oh, God. What did he do?"

"Doesn't matter" Claire said "I'm not coming back to him anyway. _Ever_"

"Claire, what the hell happened?"

But Claire already stood up and hiked her bag back to her shoulder. "I'm really tired, Eve. I think I'm gonna go and rest for a bit."

Eve fixed her a_ 'you-must-tell-me-soon'_ look, before giving her a nod. She appreciated Eve's understanding. Yet she knew she could never resist not telling her. Eve would ask for it sooner or later, and she would require an answer from her. Soon.

"Oh, where's Shane?"

Eve rolled her eyes "In the freaking shower, for about an hour now. I wonder what the hell he's doing in there. Shaving his lady parts, I would guess"

Claire offered a polite snort, "And Michael?"

"Asleep in my room"

"Right" she walked away "Goodnight, then"

OOO

She curled on her bed after that. No matter how hard she tries though, she could never manage to erase the emotion bubbling deep within her. It just wouldn't go away. She couldn't even stop thinking about what Myrnin has done, up to this point.

Yes, she knew he had his moments, almost all the time. But what he tried with her was outrageous. It was only now when she realized that he could be meddling of her choices when he wants to be. This made her feel extremely insignificant, as if she was merely a toy to him, one that he can throw away.

She thought he was beyond those phases. Clearly, she thought wrong. She learned now that with Myrnin, anything goes. Every single, unpredictable, shameful, bizarre thing was to be expected when one is around him. He is mad.

Definitely mad

Speaking of mad, she remembered what she yelled in his face before she left. She told him she hated him. She still didn't know yet if she meant that, or if she was just caught up with her emotions. But back there in the lab, there was some kind of satisfaction as she said that to him, '_I hate you'_. The way it rolled of her tongue and the way she threw his precious beaker with a loud crash.

God, she could've thrown it at him. She was dead serious. But he was too far from where she was standing, and her eyes were a bit blurry. So she aimed for the floor instead. She just wanted something to break, in the hopes of making her feel better in a way. She felt awfully empty and dissatisfied though, and she felt no contentment at what she did. But she wasn't guilty either. He deserved getting his things broken after what he'd done.

Heck, he deserved a lot more breaking than just his apparatuses.

A soft knock on the door broke her out of her reverie. She knew exactly who it was.

"Claire, you awake?"

Shane.

Tossing her covers aside, she jumped down her bed and opened the door in a rush. There he stood, with his wet hair and tight shirt, just out of the shower and looking like a model. He gave her a lopsided grin when he saw her. But she didn't just open the door to receive his smile. She pulled him in her room and hugged him with all the force she could muster.

She felt him chuckle against her "Whoa! This is definitely one warm welcome. Seeing as you're pressed against me and all"

"Shut up and enjoy the moment" she told him. Shane was just what she needed after all that has happened to her.

"Oh, I am" he said, squeezing her back "more than I could ever tell you"

They settled on her bed after a while, sharing kisses after kisses.

"So" Shane said his voice careful "Eve told me something was up with you. Is something wrong, babe?"

She curled at his sides "She probably told you who I was upset about, right?"

"It was Myrnin, wasn't it?" he growled "that jackass"

"I've decided never to come back. I don't care what Amelie will say. I'm set on this decision"

"But what happened? God, did he do something to you? Did he _try_ anything with you?

Because I swear I'll kill—"

She felt his body go tense, his arms curling protectively around her.

"No, no, no. Not like that Shane. He...tried to turn me, almost."

She closed her eyes and waited for him to explode. 3...2...1...

"He did _WHAT?_ I am going to kill that asshole this fucking instant!" Already, he made a move to stand

up. She stopped him with her arms and motioned him to stay beside her.

"He bit you, didn't he? He_ fucking_ bit you!"

"Almost" she said "He was in a state of lunacy, it was only later when he calmed down"

"Uh, he is _always_ in a state of lunacy, Claire. Always." He let go of her hand as he shifted. "I am going to kill that mother—"

"No, Shane. It's fine. Let's just...forget about him." She cuddled him, burying her face in his shoulders, releasing her tension against his skin. God, he smells so good. "Let's just concentrate about us being together, alright? Shane?" She shuddered with fright, still.

She was almost tempted to let him go and find Myrnin. Almost.

Claire knew that it was in Shane's nature to find whatever reason or excuse there is to hurt Myrnin, and she'd presented him with what he wanted. She may be small, but she has not overlooked the fact that Shane and Myrnin would never get along. That she knew. But she is still puzzled of the exact reason until now. Shane could be very jealous, but Myrnin's hostility towards her boyfriend was, if possible, even more than Shane's hostility. She's guessing boys will always be boys.

He sighed and calmed his tense body at her touch.

"Please tell me you at least staked him or something"

"I wasn't able to. I did manage to break a few things before I left though"

"Attagirl!"

Claire frowned, then said "Although...surprisingly, I feel worse about it"

He caressed her in comfort "Hell no, Claire, don't you ever feel guilty about that. He ain't the boss of you" he blinked "anymore, that is."

"I'm not guilty" she said "I just wish I could have hit him with my bare hands." _Not to hurt him, but to let him know how pissed off she was._

"Doesn't matter, It was a good thing he wasn't able to freak out on you and bit you or something. I would kill him if he so much as touches you"

"Of course you would, wouldn't you, Shane?" she nuzzled closer to him, binding her arms and legs around him. "You're my hero. Hmm..."

A lot has transpired after their conversation. But she had to admit that what they did together made her feel a whole lot better.

And there was no room for thoughts about Myrnin.

OOO

When she woke up that morning, her phone was buzzing in her jeans pocket. She craned her neck and saw Shane still sleeping beside her, mouth slightly open. With a small smile on her lips, she carefully got up and fished out her phone, checking to see who it was.

_Amelie_

Her smile slipped off her face

She debated on whether or not to answer. Claire wasn't in the mood to face the founder, after what she did to Myrnin. Oh she bet Myrnin came running to Amelie and told her every single detail of how spiteful Claire had been to him. And just for that, her anger came back creeping in. For a moment, she wished he was dead. Staked with silver, or burned under the sun.

Then she felt a tiny bit of guilt for thinking that, and answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Claire" said Amelie's cool voice at the other line "I believe your sensible side has won and decided to finally answer."

"I..." she glanced at the sleeping Shane, before hurriedly walking out her room. She entered the bathroom and locked it behind her for privacy. "I'm sorry. I'd just been thinking..."

"Thinking of ways to avenge your boss, I infer." Amelie replied, coldly

Claire had no idea on how to reply to that one

"I'm right then" said Amelie

Claire was about to explain herself when Amelie cut her off.

"Forgive me if I woke you up on such short notice, but do try to get a move on Claire and meet me in Myrnin's laboratory in... fifteen minutes."

Her eyes widened "But—I...Amelie, you don't understand—"

"What don't I understand Claire?" suddenly demanded Amelie in a harsh, biting tone. "Could you possibly tell the queen a _thing_ that she could, simply, not understand?"

Of course. How stupid of her for thinking that. Amelie just wasn't someone who was clueless. She is the founder, after all.

Claire cowered, but thanked fate that she was not in front of Amelie right now. She could just imagine Amelie's face when she'd say that.

But afraid or not, her mind was made up. She was determined to make a stand this time. No vampire, even the founder, could make her change her mind.

"I won't come" she said firmly

"Not even when your friends are at stake? You know what I am capable of doing Claire. One wrong move that I do not like and you just might find your precious Glass House burning. Together with your friends" A pause "Try me"

Claire clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, praying with all her might not to snap at the founder because everything might turn out worse. She knows very well what Amelie was capable of doing, especially when pushed. And blackmail towards her loved ones just might be the very thing that could change her mind into going. Amelie knew that very much, and used it to her advantage.

"But Myrnin tried to—"

"Not his fault" replied Amelie "I gave him a large dose of medication, thinking that he would work harder. It was a mistake, of course. Next time I expect you to be more considerate and not leave rashly. What you did last night was foolish. And Myrnin is entirely crushed from your departure."

"Good, I hope he's depressed as hell"

"Not good Claire. He is under a deadline. He cannot have distractions as of now. And if you will, I would appreciate it if you move right away. I will expect you here at the said time. If you are planning not to come, then I will see to it that you will regret that decision very much."

Claire unknowingly clenched her first, as she fought the tears that she was sure was coming. _It's not fair!_

"Oh, and one last thing, Claire" said Amelie "Myrnin—as far as I'm concerned—is still your boss"

_Definitely not fair!_

The phone was dead.

"Shit" Claire muttered, inserting her phone back in her pocket "shit"

OOO

A/N: I'll have you guys know that 'Shane Who' is only a one-shot. This, however, is the Myrnin/Claire fic that is multi-chaptered. Thanks for reading! More twists coming up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Amelie

As she sat on a battered couch inside Myrnin's laboratory, she could not help but notice her friend's fidgeting. She would watch him walk back and forth across his laboratory, hands clasped behind his back. Other times, he would mutter nonsensical words continuously, while he worked on some complex experiment. He was being unpredictable again, but more than the usual.

Amelie would hear him give frustrated sounds, a few foreign profanities here and there as he made blurry movements that only a vampire was capable of.

"Perhaps" she said to him, after a while of strenuous watching "you need an increase of dosage to calm you?"

"No, no, no..." he replied, not directly looking at her. His eyes were elsewhere and un-attentive "I believe giving me more than the necessary dosage is an immense mistake. I'll have you know that what I did to Claire was unforgivable" this time, he stopped whatever it is he was doing, and stood in front of her, his huge eyes suddenly manic. "Absolutely _unforgivable_! It was foolish of me to attempt, and the girl is not happy."

"And are you concerned of her safety?" she said to him, unfazed of what he was feeling

His manic eyes widened then ever so slowly returned to its normal size "I am most concerned, my friend. I will never,_ never_ forgive myself if she is hurt, much more if by me. I might as well die than live in shame and guilt"

For a moment, as she looked at him with such pain, something stirred in her. It was a very rare emotion, and it made her feel unsettled. But it was there, as rare as it happens to her, because in all honesty, never before had she seen him so wounded. The last time she saw him this crumpled was when Ada died. But this, she saw, was torment on his poor soul.

She could just imagine his reaction if Claire was dead. She shuddered internally.

"Amelie" he said, meeting her eyes "Making the girl come back is another mistake"

"Definitely not" she snapped at him "Claire, no matter what happens, will always be your assistant. Whatever feud there is between the two of you is none of my concern. The only thing I want is for you to finish what I asked you to do, and for Claire to learn as much as she can from you. Do you understand me, Myrnin?"

He did not reply for a moment. She observed him as his face formed tiny little expressions pulled by invisible strings.

Finally, he sighed and took a seat across from her.

"Amelie, you must understand that I am entirely capable of accomplishing this task alone. In fact, the girl could very well stay out of this. I do not think she is much needed at all, nor do I think that she is willing to help. If you've seen her fury, then perhaps you'd spare me this lecture. You have observed, haven't you dear friend, that the girl has grown to be a smart and independent woman? Such women of her calibre need not anymore coddling from someone as ancient as I"

"Do not tell me what to do, Myrnin. I may be your friend but I still am the founder"

But he stood up now, and walked to his kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"I do not understand you Myrnin" she said, knowing he could hear her perfectly clear. "Why push this topic, instead of just agreeing? Can it be that there is a deeper reason for your tenacity?"

She heard his breathing pattern hitch slightly "No! No other reason at all!"

"Perhaps...you've grown to _love_ her?"

Silence

_Smash!_

Amelie smirked as soon as she heard the sound of smashing china from the kitchen.

"Pardon? I thought I heard you say—"

"Then my suspicion is proven, my friend." She told him "Why conceal the verity of your feelings?"

He came back to her with a steaming pot of tea, and two cups. His face was in a subdued mask. "I do not know what you are talking about any longer, Amelie"

Amelie raised a slender finger to silence him as she heard a beating heart amidst them, coming closer.

"The girl is coming" she informed him "I trust you to be in your best behaviour, Myrnin. I do not want to hear you slobbering to ask for forgiveness. You have, after all, still your dignity, no matter what's left of it"

He gave her a slight nod.

And then they both listened to the approaching human, running closer and closer towards them.

OOO

Claire

When she was nearing Myrnin's lab, she slowed her running and calmed herself. It'd been a hard decision for her, if she would come or not. However, when she'd glanced at her bedroom clock and realized she only have nine minutes to spare, she took off like a bat from hell, with no explanations to her friends whatsoever, and ran all the way from the Glass House(the portals were unfortunately unavailable).

Claire glanced at her watch. Two minutes left.

With one last sturdy breath, to calm her nerves and rising emotions, she opened the door and closed it behind her.

"Come and sit down, Claire"

Still a bit out-of-breath, Claire proceeded to the receiving area. It was there that she found Amelie sitting on a battered couch, her hands on both the chair's arms, looking very much like a queen with a throne. Across her, in another battered sofa, sat Myrnin. His back was to her. He did not turn to look at her at all.

"Sit" Amelie said

Claire sat on the sofa where Myrnin was, but made sure there was a large enough space between the two of them. And, for good measure, she dumped her knapsack in between.

Amelie, having noticed her doing this, said "There will be no ill manners between the two of you, do you understand me, Claire?"

She felt Amelie's power, pushing her to give the correct answer. "Yes, Amelie"

_Hell no!_

"Very well" said the founder "I called you in today to inform you that it is _my orders_ for the both of you to work on an impossibly drastic experiment, one that can help...my kind to survive under the sun for a long time. I have been informed that our weather has been on an increased temperature for five to ten points this week, and there might be a time that even if vampires stay in sheltered places, they would feel the burn from the sun"

"But Amelie" Claire interjected "couldn't clothes protect you enough?"

Beside her, Myrnin gave an impatient noise. She glared at him.

"Clothes, I'm afraid, does not suffice in answering the problem. The higher the temperature, the thicker the clothes we have to wear. Wearing thick clothes can be a hassle to vampires, and not to mention, leave us feeling stiff and unable to move."

"How about doubling shelter protection?"

"Not enough resources for our town population. We live in the middle of the dessert, have you forgotten?"

Claire folded her arms to her chest and scowled. There has to be a way for her to stay out of this.

"Evacuate everyone to the Founder's Square?" she said hopefully

"Enough excuses!" hissed Amelie "You. Will. Find. A. Solution. And that is an order Claire. Our kind is suffering from extinction from different kinds of causes, each terrible in its own way. I cannot have something as trivial as the sun ruining that for us as well"

"What if I tell you I won't do it?"

She knew right away that what she said was wrong because Amelie stood up, her eyes flashing. Suddenly, the air turned cold. Claire gave an involuntary shiver as she felt the founder's power pressing unto her again.

"Amelie" said Myrnin, with a consoling tone. "Didn't I tell you? The girl does not want any part of this. Perhaps it is best if you send her away and never let her come back. She has made up her mind"

Claire turned to look at him with fury "Don't try to defend me! I still don't like you"

"I wasn't defending you by any means, I was stating a fact! What opinion you have of me is none of my concern. Besides, there are many creatures who like me." Myrnin paused and thought of a few "Like Bob, for instance"

"You are so pathetic!" she said to him heatedly "And Bob doesn't count! He's just a spider for God's sake!"

"A spider is not just a spider, young one. It is an _arachnid_, a creature made to be appreciated for having eight legs. Apparently you happen to be a close-minded being that is why you cannot see beauty in such things"

"Oh, I so don't want to talk about spiders right now. Most especially, I don't want to talk to you. I don't even know why I'm talking to a vampire who tried to turn me into a vampire! And I told you I quit, didn't I? Well guess what, I meant it!"

"Claire, I could not care less if you quit. You go ahead and continue to live in a horrendously mundane environment with that boy of yours while you are slowly wasting your intelligence away. I could _not_ care less"

"Oh, what the hell does that mean? I'd rather waste my intelligence on something else than in this lab of yours!" She said, hotly "And don't you dare bring Shane up on this! He's ten times a man you will ever be—"

"SILENCE!" Amelie called

Claire and Myrnin glared daggers at each other.

"Both of you have driven me to my very edge and tested my patience. I have tried to deal as much as I can, explaining things so calmly. But after your little banter, I do not think I could show the same manners again.

As punishment for your shameless behaviour, I will both lock you up in this laboratory until you have come up with the invention I have asked of you. And since you are a human Claire, I have already made sure that the necessary precaution of living with a vampire is taken care of. You will have to discover them yourself. Myrnin, you will drink your daily dosage with a twelve hour interval.

I do not wish for any of this to happen again. You have tested me, now you have seen my wrath. Now be thankful that this is all the punishment you will get. Things would have been worse for the both of you"

Then she left, her heels clicking against the floor with feathery pace. She left with a vampire guard right behind her.

The door clicked shut with a ringing finality.

And Claire was left alone with Myrnin, for God knows how long.

_Shit_

__A/N: Thank you for those who gave a feedback! I appreciate it! Well folks, this only the beginning of the thrill ride. Every exciting thing that's to happen will start in Chapter 3. Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Claire

When the door closed in on them and silence followed, it took Claire all of her focus not to cry. It was so unfair.

_Unfair! Unfair! Unfair!_

Here she was, trapped with her crazy boss for who knows how long, when she still hated his guts very much. How on earth could she ever spend her time here? And what about her friends back at the Glass House? And Shane? She already missed him.

She closed her eyes and hoped that all of this was just a dream. A sad and terrifying dream. Then she'd wake up in Shane's arms and on her bed, feeling loved and comforted.

Claire counted to five silently, her eyes still closed.5... 4...3...2...1

She opened her eyes...

...And almost literally jumped three feet in the air, because Myrnin's face was uncannily close to her own, looking at her as if she had grown three heads or something.

Shit, this was no dream.

"Are you alright, Claire?"

She calmed her breathing first, before giving him a hard look. "I didn't know you cared, Myrnin. Now if you'll excuse me—" She hoisted her bag to her shoulder. "I'm going to my room."

She saw him watching her as she crossed the hallway, towards the wall leading to her room. It was quite funny in a way, because she noticed his mouth opening then closing, as if he wanted to say something to her, but not quite managing it, so he had to watch her helplessly instead.

When she reached her room, she slammed the door shut very loudly that the picture frame beside the wall wobbled a bit, proving to him that she was less than pleased about this whole situation.

OOO

As soon as she had her own privacy in the big yet dingy room, and certain that Myrnin wasn't going to bother her, she began to break down on the bed, hugging the pillows to her chest, crying her heart out for all the things that she had to carry on her back.

What would she do now? She knew that making the experiment was the only ticket for her to be out of here. But that would not be possible unless she cooperated with Myrnin. He after all, had already started and she was only there to be the assistant and the spectator.

It was all up to Myrnin, really. And right now, he wasn't her favourite person. So it would take a lot of her courage to take her pride down and maybe talk this over with him calmly.

Her musings were interrupted when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Claire! Babe" it was Shane. And from the sound of his voice, it was clear that he wasn't pleased "Are you alright?"

"Shane! No, I'm not" she said, tears running down her cheeks. "First, I have to tell you something. I know you won't like it but this was an order from—"

"Amelie" he cut her off "Yeah I know. She dropped by here and told us the fascinating story just like, five seconds ago. She's gone now but you have to know we're not very happy with what's going on with you there with...him" he growled the last word.

"I'm not happy either" she confided sadly "God, I wish I was out of here. I really do. Are you mad at me?"

"Are you kidding? It's not your fault babe. If anything, it was his. He was the one who tried to hurt you. Don't worry. We'll help you get the hell out of there tonight"

"No! No, don't" she said "Amelie will be furious. I'll manage on my own for now. I'm...sure I'll be fine. And don't worry. I'll be out of here sooner than you think"

Even if every cell of her body ached for that rescue mission to happen, she knew the consequences if they did it. Amelie will make sure that they'll regret whatever they have planned to do.

He paused for a while, before sighing "Alright. I understand. Just... hurry back here, okay? We miss you like crazy already. But I miss you the most. If he does anything to you, call me and I'll be there, loaded with silver bullets and shit."

His words made her laugh a bit. Shane was still looking out for her no matter what. She wishes he was here with her.

"I know" she said, comforted at that thought "Send my love to the others for me, yeah?"

"Sure, babe" Shane said "I'll see you soon... I love you"

"I love you too"

OOO

"Claire?"

Knock. Knock.

"I just wanted to let you know that I made..." a nervous cough "dinner"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Would you care to open the door so that I can speak to you better?"

Knock. Knock.

"Claire? Are you alright in there?"

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Right" a nervous breath "I'm coming in—AAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!"

Claire woke up in the darkness.

She was sure that someone was yelling in pain. But what she was unsure of was if the shouting was real, or from a dream.

"AAARRRGGHHHHH!"

Not a dream then.

"Myrnin!" she yelled, remembering where she was.

Swiftly, she tossed her covers aside and ran to the light switch. Then she hurriedly opened her door to find Myrnin kneeling in front of her door, clutching his burning right hand with his left.

"Christ!" she exclaimed "what the hell happened to you?"

"The— doorknob" he panted, wincing "is...silver—I had no idea it was...silver. Amelie must've...set this."

She shook her head in panic when she saw his hand produce a sizzling sound, followed by a continuous flow of smoke from it. Without thinking, she grabbed him by his collar and helped him up. Then she took his left arm and assisted him into walking inside her room.

"Wait, stop" he muttered "Amelie must've set a vampire protecting spell in this room. I can smell it" and to prove it, he sniffed the doorway and scrunched his nose. "You need to invite me in"

"Right" she nodded "Um, Myr—Myrnin? Come in my room"

Then she set him down on her bed. She grabbed her bag and took out a small vial. She set up a bowl in front of him and poured some water inside. Then carefully, she added three drops from the vial.

Immediately, the water turned yellow.

"Does it hurt very much?"

He smiled at her wryly "I've had much worse"

Carefully, she took his right hand and dipped it into the solution. In a matter of minutes, his burning hand returned to its original pale color. And Myrnin sighed with relief.

"Thank you Claire" he said as they sat there in silence

"What were you doing opening my door anyway?" she brushed off his thanks, remembering that they were not in good terms.

"I did knock" he said, almost defensively "A couple of times. But you didn't answer"

"I was asleep"

"Well, that explains it"

"So what did you want?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I prepared dinner and if you'd care...to join me?"

She scoffed at him "You're not serious, right? _Join you? _Did you honestly think I'd join you munching on your type O? Sorry, I'd rather not have dinner than eat what you prepared"

"Still filled with tenacity, I see" he wasn't angry at her "And just so you know, what I meant was I prepared you some human food. You like pizza right?"

Her stomach rumbled at that word. But she hated the knowing look on his face that tells her he knows exactly what would make her succumb to him. "No, I don't"

She did like pizza very much.

"Hey, you don't know how to cook pizza" she narrowed her eye s at him "How on earth did you get your hands on some pizza?"

"I made a delivery order. And if you'd allow me to add, the pizza looks just as edible as the delivery boy"

Her eyes widened, her mouth forming into an O "YOU DID NOT!"

Myrnin looked at her with wide innocent eyes "What? It was a couple of sips. I was thirsty, Claire!"

"The way you're saying it, sounds as if what you were drinking was Kool Aid instead of blood!" she shook her head at him "where is he now?"

Myrnin cleared his throat and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "This solution is very good by the way. What is this? Would you mind sharing what it was in the vial?"

"Myrnin!"

He stood up and gave her the bowl back. "Right" he said, not looking at her "I suppose you don't want the pizza then? Right. Of course. I better be off. My work awaits me"

Then he disappeared.

She let out a small growl of frustration before following him outside the room. Damn him for tactlessly avoiding her questions!

She found him helping himself to a slice of pizza. Her stomach growled right away at the sight of it and forgot that she was still supposed to interrogate him about the delivery boy.

Myrnin looked up and smiled when he noticed that she had followed him

"Hungry?"

"Yes"

"Pizza?"

"Definitely"

She took a seat across him and took one pizza, finishing it with only five bites. She took another one and chewed slowly.

"You must've been ravenous"

"I was" she gave him a small smile. "Thanks for getting me pizza, Myrnin"

He waved her thanks off with a dimple-y smile.

"But" she spoke again, in between bites "That doesn't mean we're friends or anything. I'm still mad at you"

"Of course. How could I forget? With you continuously reminding me every five seconds?"

"You suck"

"Yes" he said in a matter-of-fact voice "I do suck blood"

"No! I didn't mean like that! What I meant was—Oh, dang it. Nevermind. What's the point of explaining?"

As soon as her question let off, his eyes brightened and his mouth immediately began to spew out words, as if he was dying to answer just about any question there is.

"The point of explaining is for an individual to get from point A to point B which would make everyone get into the same train of thought and for them to move on into another—"

"Oh shut up" Claire said, stuffing his mouth with a left over pizza.

She laughed at the sight of him. Myrnin's eyes softened when he took the pizza out of his mouth, a complete opposite of the reaction she'd hoped.

There was an awkward silence after that and she realized that Myrnin was looking at her thoughtfully, his head cocked to one side. She glared at him for a while, until she realized that he wasn't going to look away anytime. So she cleared her throat, her hand instinctively grabbing a piece of her hair in anxiety.

What was he playing at? Looking at her like..._that?_

"What?" she said consciously "Is there something in my face—?"

Myrnin, with lightning speed, stuffed the pizza into her mouth.

She screeched in protest and struggled to get the pizza off her mouth. And then she heard it—his laugh. She never heard him laugh that way before. It was either the evil genius laugh, the maniacal laugh, or the cynical laugh. But _this_. This was like a pleasant peal of bell.

"I was waiting for you to open your mouth" he explained, laughing "It took quite a while"

"EW!" she threw the pizza back in the box "You nasty!"

"You started it first, Claire. May I point that out?" he was still chuckling a bit

"Are you aware that we just had an indirect kiss? " She protested, her face crumpling in disgust "You had your saliva in that damn pizza and I ate it!"

_Ew, ew, ew!_

He shrugged at what she said, all the while looking blasé "I didn't know a kiss could transpire from a pizza"

"Myrnin!"

"Alright! I'm sorry! I did not know about that kiss, alright? You know that I am innocent to such things"

"Innocent my ass" She rolled her eyes as she got off her chair.

She then went back to her room, slamming the door.

When she was gone, Myrnin looked at the pizza she left on the box—the one they both tasted— and said "Hmm...Looks edible enough. Kiss or no kiss." Then he ate it and continued to work with a bit of a smile on his face.

A/N: Thanks for giving me such a positive feedback, you guys. Y'all rock!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It was mid-afternoon when she woke up the next day. As stupid as it sounds, she was still hoping that what happened for the past two days was just a dream conjured up by her always stressed mind. Alas, it was no dream. So Claire had no choice but to get out of her bed sluggishly, as she reached for her cell phone.

It was dead

"Damn it!" she exclaimed

How in the hell would she call Shane now? Having no cell phone was just the same as cutting the ties from the outside world. And that made her feel, for a minute, like Myrnin. An outcast.

She let out a frustrated growl and unlocked her door with her cell phone in hand, just in time to see her boss put on some goggles and diving in his head into a big four by four aquarium with different kinds of stones at the bottom.

"Myrnin?" she said, aghast at his display "What are you doing?"

She noticed that the only clothing he has on was a very remarkable colour of a neon orange swimming trunks and brown flip-flops.

God, he was going to kill her with his immaturity sometimes.

She watched as Myrnin held on to each rock and stroked them with his fingers. The yellow rock immediately turned to sand at his touch. The grey rock broke into large pieces, while the white rock has not so much as a scratch. Myrnin took hold of it, and resurfaced.

"Oh, hello there Claire" he said, water dripping everywhere off him.

Claire, the assistant that she is, immediately grabbed a towel and handed it to him.

"What are you doing?" she said

"Oh, you know. Just an experiment. I was looking for the perfect rock that contains the very component that could withstand any kind of radiation for a surmountable amount of time. I think that I just found it."

"What element is it?"

He frowned at her "I'm not sure exactly but I am guessing that it is a non-metal. Metals could be dangerous for skin consumption, you understand"

"Of course"

"Now, have you had yourself something to eat?"

"No" she said, watching him dry off his lean torso "I just woke up and found out my cell phone's battery died"

He wasn't really listening now. He had turned his back to her, exposing his back's hard muscles that flexed itself as his hands grabbed hold of laboratory apparatuses. "Really? Should we bury it then?"

It took her a lot of seconds to answer. She looked away from his back "No! You're so clueless at these things, aren't you? We don't bury it, we charge it!"

"Huh" he replied "Then how do you suppose we could charge that?"

"I need a charger? Hello?"

He finally turned to her and gave her a puzzled look "A what?"

"Uh!" she growled at him "You are hopeless!"

He only smiled at her and returned to his microscope.

"Please tell me you have a charger? I left mine back home"

He looked up from his microscope again and looked at her as if he was really sorry about her dilemma.

"I am sure that I have no idea what this charger you mean looks like. Although I did invent something that I dubbed as a 'charger', something that has to do about nucleic acid and nucleotide chains, It 'charges' certain kinds of chains to convey genetic information from certain species that I had met some time ago and are now extinct" he saw the look on her face "Although, yes. I know, that this is not the charger you are looking for. Why don't you make one?"

She rolled her eyes at him "Uh! But that is so time-consuming! I thought we need to make that vampire 'sun' protection that Amelie told us to do?"

"It's alright" he assured her "take all the time you need. I am almost finished combining ingredients anyway"

Claire narrowed her eyes at him. _Myrnin? Considerate?_ She hope his change of heart wasn't something to do about their quarrel three nights ago. If it was, then maybe they should fight more often. If that was the thing that could make him change his coldness.

Or maybe, she should just yell more often. And break a couple more of his glass tubes.

"Do you want me to make you breakfast?" he offered, hoping to make her feel better

"You can't cook"

"Fair point" he said "But I can learn, can't I?"

She grimaced "Just...stick to mixing chemicals."

With that, she marched off to his kitchen with him yelling at her "You sexist young lass!"

OOO

The rest of the day had been uneventful. Mostly because Myrnin was on his working area the whole day, completing the sun protection, while Claire was in a sour mood and decided not to come out of her room to help him. What impressed her was that, Myrnin wasn't the least bit bossy at her.

It was impossible to think that he was doing all the work while Claire, who refused to work, was left alone and not nagged by him. This was the after effect of fighting with him, she thinks.

The sour mood transpired after she realized that there was no ample resource to make an alternative charger. Claire frowned as she held unto her dead cell phone. She had not thought of this possibility beforehand. If only she knew, then she'd bring a big luggage here into his laboratory upon staying. There was only one solution to this dilemma if she wanted to talk to Shane and to her friends as soon as possible: go do what Amelie ordered.

So, dropping her dead cell phone down her bed, she put on a lab coat and gloves that was three sizes too big. She marched out of her door, stopping only when she was in front of him.

"Why not call me instead of waiting?" she demanded of Myrnin, who was bending over on a microscope "You know this isn't you, right? Normally, you'd act like a drama queen and whine all around the place if you don't see me working"

He looked up at her, pulling back his goggles. He stared at her with glazed eyes for a long moment, before all she saw was a blur, and he was there in front of her, holding her arms with his cold hands.

"I'm quite hungry Claire" he told her quietly "Will you go and fetch me my food? _Swiftly_"

She was shaking in fear. Having a vampire that close to you meant your death.

She looked at him and saw his eyes turning into crimson, and his fangs growing a few centimetres. She felt her heartbeat quicken at his change. But then she saw him close his eyes, taming the monster inside him, before opening them again to reveal his brown eyes. The redness was gone.

Claire ran to his fridge as if her life depended on it, which, if you really think about it, happens to be true. Her life really depended on it.

When she returned, she stayed a few good feet away from him, and then tossed him four blood packs. She saw him rip open the first ravenously. While the second, third, and fourth were taken in moderation.

"Ahh" she heard him moan, licking his lips "Sorry about that Claire, I haven't eaten since morning. What were you saying just a while now? I had been lapsing"

She cleared her throat and shook her head to say nothing. What she'd told him was absolutely nothing. There was one thing she was curious about him, though. If he was working all day, then was he able to take his daily dosage?

"Myrnin? Have you...taken your medicine today?"

"I'm sorry, my what?"

"Your meds? The one Amelie prescribed you?"

"Oh" recognition dawned on his face "That"

"Yes..." she narrowed her eyes at him "_that"_

He lifted one finger as if to silence her and even before she could blink, he was gone.

It was only a few seconds later, just in time when Myrnin left for a while, that there was the sound of electric fizzling, then a sudden explosion from the light bulbs above, followed by the whole room plunging into immediate darkness.

Silence

Dead Silence

And dead darkness

Claire shifted nervously in place. She hated to admit it, but being alone in the dark and seeing absolutely nothing scared the hell out of her. Out of desperation, she groped for the space in front of her, walking a few steps and forward hoping she could find a wall.

"Um, Myrnin?" she called

Silence

"Where the hell are you and what the hell did you do to the power source?"

Her bag had a flashlight. Too bad it was in her bedroom, which was a bit far away. She couldn't even find a wall, much less go to her bedroom.

Shit

"Myrnin" she called again, a bit angry now "you need to fucking use your voice and tell me where the hell you are, okay? I am serious as hell—OOF!" She'd slammed into something hard, her fingers finally grasping unto a solid thing after groping at the air for quite a while. It was cold, and moving.

It was Myrnin

It was Myrnin's torso and she was hugging it. Tightly.

A small beam of light invaded her eyes, making her squint. She let go of him rather quickly when she saw the look on his face as he pointed his flashlight in front of her face. He smirked when he took in her shaken appearance.

"You do know don't you, that when a human being starts cursing like a sailor, the said being is either afraid, or angry?" he points the beam at her, a victorious look in his eyes

She scowled at him and slapped the flashlight away from her face. He pointed it away from her but his wise eyes never left hers. Her cheeks started to burn due to embarrassment. She hated when anyone finds her in a vulnerable state.

"What happened to the power source?"

"A short circuit is most probably the likeliest thing that happened"

"Damn" she muttered "Any chance we can fix it?"

He answered her with a yawn "Yes, most probably. But I do need to rest first. It had been an extremely long day for me and I do not think that I could fix that as of now in my state. This must be due to that blasted medication Amelie prescribed me." He grimaced "It's sincerely ruining my hours"

"Oh, did it make you sleepy, then?"

"Yes, yes. It most probably did"

"I can fix it" she volunteered "I mean...I'm no whiz at electric wirings but I can learn a thing or two. It's got to be easy, right? I mean, how different can it be from science? It's part of physics"

His gaze on her tightened "Absolutely not. It is best to be safe. Someone like you should not be meddling into something you are unsure of. Think about the consequences"

"Well, think about the consequences if we don't fix the light! We cannot see a thing! Hello?"

"Speak for yourself, young one" he told her, smirking "I can see everything very clearly"

She resisted the urge to stomp on his foot. It was childish she knew, but she just hated it when people think she was incapable of doing something. They seem to have forgotten she had a good brain inside that head of hers.

"Myrnin" she glared at him "give me the flashlight and no one gets hurt"

"Funny how you spew out threatening words at me, Claire" he said "I've heard enough threats that can last for an eternity. What you said was just a miniscule part to that eternity"

"Then what do you suppose _we_ should do_?_" she demanded "_I_ should do" she corrected, scowling "You do know I am useless."

"If you want to be useful, then I advise you to sit yourself down across me and hand out things that I'll ask of you. This way, I could finish my work quickly and we could rest thereafter"

So she did. Even if she was slightly apprehensive and cautious of the things she was handing him, afraid that whatever thing she'd hold might combust or worse, explode. She assisted him with the lights as well. Holding something like a medieval-looking lamp at the things he wanted her to read for him while he was working. It took quite some time before Myrnin stopped his work. He told her he wasn't done but he'll continue it the next day.

"And I'm still not going to do anything scientific?" she told him, disappointed.

"Very well, if you're so eager" he said "I will give you an assignment. I want you to research, analyze and know the different component of this ingenious thing called a sun block. I want you to break down the solution and figure out the active and dominant ingredients."

Claire nodded. Finally, she got to do something she likes.

"Good night, then. Little Claire" He then turned his back to her, returning his attention to his lab table and yawning at the process.

She looked at him softly for a moment before carrying the lamp with her and walking back towards him. "Myrnin, do you need my help of putting things away?"

"No, I'm fine. You go ahead and rest. It had been a long day"

He continued to fix his laboratory apparatuses, putting some things aside and arranging some of his yellow papers. As he did all that, she saw him yawn while his eyes drooped to a low level. And then he stretched his lean body like a cat, his hands elongating heavenwards.

"Myrnin—"

"Just so you know Claire" he cut her off "What you told me earlier, about being a 'drama queen' is not entirely true. I just act the way I feel. And I will have you know that when I feel, I feel strongly."

She was surprised at what he said. She thought he never wanted to say anything about this topic, or any topic wherein her insults toward him are concerned.

"So that's your excuse" she said, recovered now "I mean, don't get me wrong, I get that you _feel_ strongly and all that jazz but there's a term for that in this modern time. And it's drama queen"

"You know I've always wondered as to why it is that you call me drama queen when I am clearly one of the male species. So that might put me into the category of 'drama _king' _correct?"

She laughed at him "Whatever you say, drama _king"_

"I am not offended by any means whatsoever by your insults. In fact your insults are childish, something that does not require a clever remark"

"You're crazy" she said

"Thank you very much. That happens to be a very original description of me"

"Manic!" she continued

"Portentous!"

"Mad Scientist!"

"Maladroit!"

"Drama Queen!"

"Misanthropist!"

"Wrecker"

"Infantile!"

"All right" she said, giggling "I have no idea with half of what you call me, but you are really brainy"

"Aren't we both?"

"Chlamydia!" she yelled, laughing

There was a brief silence

And then he blinked at her as she broke into a laugh, almost jumping up and down and saying things like 'check mate' and 'gotcha'.

"short" he replied

Her face froze "What did you say to me, Myrnin?"

"I said you _are_ short" he said, his eyes glinting "short, short, short!"

"You're hitting me below the belt!"

"And calling me a 'drama queen' isn't?"

"Well that's just—" she sputtered "different!"

She must've said that more passionately than she'd planned because she saw the hurt in his face.

He composed his face carefully and took a small step back "I can see you're upset. Has my insult greatly impacted you? You know don't you, that I do not mean any of it? I— I was simply jesting. Claire I'm terribly sorry if I—"

She cut him off by laughing "I'm just messing with you! God! Chill out, Myrnin!"

He looked relieved. Then he blinked his eyes and cleared his throat "Right. Of course I knew that. Of course"

They settled themselves into a couch. Even if it was dark, and only a lamp illuminated them, their minds were bright and alert, Claire's is, anyway. She thought about it thoroughly, and smiled. Myrnin wasn't that bad, after all. What she meant was that his face was young, almost like he was her age, and if she forget how old he really is, like twenty four or twenty five, and if he'd constantly act like her age, then maybe they'd get along just fine.

Bantering with him almost felt like a natural thing, something that she missed doing with Shane back at the glass house.

Speaking of Shane...

Crap

She has forgotten her dead cell phone!

"Myrnin!" she said "You have to help me with the charger!"

"I'm sorry Claire, but I think that I am too sleepy to do any work, as of the moment"

"Sleepy? But we were just laughing moments ago! You're unbelievable"

"Well, believe it or not, I feel a tremendous amount of exhaustion as we are speak...ing" he'd yawned

She crumpled her fists, her eyebrows meeting half way at the process. Then she looked back at him, sitting beside her, and shook her head when she realized his eyes were closed.

"Myrnin"

She tried jostling him awake

"Myrnin, wake up" no avail

"Please"

Silence

She sighed and gave up. When he was asleep like that, she knows the only thing that could wake him up was...nothing. So she stood herself up, carrying the medieval-looking lamp with her, and walked back to her room. She had no idea what inclined her to, but when she was a few steps away from him, she turned around and looked at his sleeping form. Maybe it was just her, doing her job as an assistant, to check on him. But as she raised her lamp to illuminate his face again, she smiled.

There was no such thing as crazy in this sleeping face. And somehow, she was sure, that when his face was neutral like that, she could never afford to hate him.

"You know," she said to the sleeping Myrnin "that day when I told you I hate you, I think that... I really didn't mean that." She watched his face, making sure that he was asleep and had not heard her babble. "And I'm sorry if I hurt you by saying that. I could never hate you Myrnin, no matter what you do. You've somehow become much more than a boss to me. This sounds crazy but, I think I could even consider you family. I don't know what I'm talking about here... I'm so sleepy. But just so we're clear, I don't hate you. At all"

She shifted nervously to see if he woke up to hear her embarrassing confession. But he didn't. So she sighed in relief and continued the walk back to her room.

When her door closed, Myrnin opened his eyes, his face looking mellow for a vampire. As strange as it was for him, his lips had somehow curled upwards on its own. Claire's clarification to what she felt for him made him feel as if he drank a pack of blood.

He stood up stealthily and walked up to his desk. He then started to connect wires to make a charger.

For her

* * *

A/N: Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who took their time in giving my story some attention. Ya'll are awesome sauce.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Waking up that next day made her feel discombobulated for a while. It was a good description—discombobulated. Mainly because it covered a lot of reasons for her to feel that way, one reason would have to be because she was in conflict of what to prioritize today, whether to attempt making a cell phone charger again, or if Myrnin would finally break free from his '_kind-hearted'_ phase and bark at her to work on the experiment now, telling her to get her shit together. Another reason was— and this was mainly the real reason—if what she confessed to Myrnin yesterday night had been real.

She wonders she'd really poured her heart out. Maybe not entirely, but some of it into his sleeping form, and had carelessly thrown scary words like 'family' and 'sorry' into the bunch. After a moment's recollection, she realized that yes she had really told him all of it and more. She cringed.

"Me and my mouth" she said to herself, shaking her head. She just hoped Myrnin wasn't able to hear any of it and had, hopefully, fallen into a slumber he made her to believe he was up from her bed, she got dressed for the day.

When she was done fixing herself, she decided to pick her bag up and hike it up her shoulder, thinking that extra protection never hurt anyone. And judging from the occurrence last night, things might just come in handy.

She was about to make her way out to the door when she felt a sharp, stinging sensation on her left foot at stepping on something very sold.

"OW!" she yelped, jumping back in surprise "Damn it! What the hell?"

When she looked down, she realized that she stepped on an ancient-looking scroll with sharp woods at each of its corners. She scowled as she massaged her feet, thinking of a possible explanation as to how a scroll managed to land inside her room without her knowledge. And then she got it. Who could be responsible for this except Myrnin?

What the hell, Myrnin?

Why can he not send her a normal letter? She thought, scowling. It would save her the pain, just saying. Except maybe for a paper-cut, but that sounds better than stepping on a solid thing.

A _very_ solid thing

She looked at the scroll dirtily for a moment, as if she was challenging it to go near her foot again, before picking it up and untying the rope off. She then un-scrolled the paper and read:

_To Claire, _

_Who still happens to be asleep_

"He has such a Victorian penmanship" she muttered, rolling her eyes

_By the time you wake up I have already left. Amelie called me to Founder's Square for an impromptu meeting. I have already made sure to buy you some breakfast along the way and send it back here in the laboratory through a portal. While I'm gone, I will expect you to work on the assignment I asked you to do and that by the time I get home, I am expecting some developments about your research._

_Please do not forget to feed Bob, and clean up the basement as well, as there is dust, and I am allergic to it. Lastly, I am most regretful to deliver to you a message from Amelie saying that you cannot leave my laboratory still. Whatever attempt you might do would only cost you a drained energy. And that any attempt at all is futile and yes, punishable._

"Damn it" she muttered

_I have fixed the electricity and did something that you might thank me for. Although, I know that you will show no sign of gratitude, judging by my disobliging behaviour yesterday, and partly because I took a hunch that it may not be in your chromosomes to be grateful to someone like me._

"Drama Queen" she muttered

_I hope you enjoy the rest of the day and I wish you well to do good on your task._

_Good Day!_

_Myrnin_

She rolled back the paper and stared at it disbelievingly for a while "Is this...parchment?" she examined the high-quality paper and felt it against her fingers, dragging her hand back and forth against it. She snorted "God, he's so old fashioned"

OOO

What she realized later on was that the thing Myrnin had done for her wasn't just something she shouldn't be grateful for. Because as soon as she stepped out of her bedroom and clicked the lights on, she found out that there was a weird-looking gadget sitting on his table with a small parchment (again, with the parchment!) that says: _use this to bring you cell phone back from the dead_

She laughed at that "Classy"

With a small squeal of ecstasy, she took her cell phone out from her bag and inserted a thin wire in her phone to where it usually connects with her charger.

It actually worked.

So while her cell phone was '_recovering back from the dead'_ with Myrnin's ingenious invention, she gleefully worked on her research and broke down the different kinds of components the sun block has, with help of another Myrnin invention. She listed all of her findings, and all those things he asked her to, whilst doing her tasks cheerfully. This would have to be the first time that she felt such happiness inside Myrnin's laboratory.

She didn't even mind the thought of feeding a gigantic spider named Bob, for once.

OOO

Amelie

"That was very generous of you, Myrnin" said Amelie "what you did to the girl, I mean"

How Amelie knew of Myrnin's help to Claire was a puzzle not only to him, but to all of the residence in Morganville for a long time now. It wasn't a complete surprise when she knows even the minute happenings from his laboratory without anyone telling her or anyone knowing who told her. She was the founder after all, and has her means, which she keeps a secret very well. Sometimes it was easy to say that this is one of the reasons why she still is the ruler of Morganville. She was just too slick and secretive, yet omniscient. Her wise eyes were scrutinizing him as they sat face to face in her office.

Myrnin gave her friend a small, bitter smile "It was the least I could do to make her residence in my laboratory somewhat less depressing"

She nodded in understanding and picked up the cup of tea—which was laid out in front of her desk—with her dainty finger. "I could have transported a man made charger through a portal, however. Were you not able to think of that?"

"I did, but—"

"You wanted to make something for her yourself?" she continued, smiling a very thin smile, just a line under the bridge of her nose. "I see..."

He gave up the pretence of wanting to explain himself and decided to hang his head low instead. There was no way of talking around Amelie. Once she knows, there really wasn't anymore way to side track her. She was tenacious like that.

"How are the experiments going? Have you made any progress?"

He nodded "I've come up with a conscious choice to make two different kind of substance that can help. One would have to take form through medication. Like a medicine pill to be taken with a consistent interval. Another is in the form of a cream, like a sun block for vampires. Although I am yet to accomplish the two, I believe that I am on the right track. A few more experiments here and there and I can present you the aforementioned solutions. Fail-safe."

"Such assurance is daunting, my friend" she told him, standing up and walking a few steps away from her desk "I am and will not be assured until the said product is in my hands. My fellowmen's conditions are turning for the worse"

"Then I will make sure to accelerate my progress" he stood up as well and put on his very thick coat. "I need to get going if you want faster results"

"Yes, make sure you do"

"Good day, Amelie"

He made his way towards the heavy door handle when he heard her say, "While you're at it, try to enjoy the girl's presence. Consider her a gift... for you to be motivated and inspired."

He stiffened, surprised at such a suggestion "Amelie—"

"And maybe, tell her how you feel. That helps too" she added "Good day, Myrnin"

OOO

It took her the whole afternoon to finish her specific tasks. Tiring though it was, nothing still beats the feeling of knowing that her cell phone has fully revived and full of battery. The thought of being an outcast still bothered her. She wanted to talk to her friends very much, especially Shane. And she was wondering if they even thought about her a lot. Or if they tried to pretend that she was just on a vacation and stopped thinking of her altogether.

Stowing the last dusty box into a towering closet, she closed its doors and stepped down the ladder. She then proceeded to Myrnin's laboratory to check on her cell phone. Just as she'd hoped: It was full. And, as she checked on the screen she saw that she had about 200 missed calls from Shane, Eve and Michael together.

A big wave of trepidation hit her. What if they've given up on her because she wasn't answering their calls? Would she have done the same to them if they were in her place? She paused and thought about it thoroughly. No. She'd never abandon any of them, even if she was at the brink of her death.

Crossing her fingers, she dialled Shane's number.

He answered her a split second before the first ring.

"Claire?" she heard him gasp very loudly against the phone, as if surprised "Is this really you?"

She swallowed a thick bile on her throat and said, "Shane! Yes, it's me"

"Thank God you finally called. I was about to lose my mind. What the hell is going on there, anyway?" his tone changed from relief to suspicion very quickly "Has that bloodsucker been keeping your phone away from you?"

"NO!" she exclaimed "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell—It's just that my phone died and I left my charger back there. Besides, Myrnin has been keeping me pre-occupied"

Her blood turned cold when she realized a second later that what she said to him sounded so wrong and twisted.

"Oh, really?" he seem to agree with her thoughts as his voice was brimming with acid "You must be having so much fun there with him, aren't you?"

Stammering because of panic she said, "No! That's not what I meant. Not like _that_. What I mean is that I am pre-occupied by doing a lot of experiments and chores."

When he didn't say anything back, she felt a single line of sweat glide down her back. Must they fight now? They just talked for approximately a minute.

"Shane?" she whispered "I'm so sorry. Are you mad?"

After a while, she finally heard him take an exasperated breath "No, sorry. It was wrong to get mad like that. I guess I just miss you—that's all"

She sighed in relief "Oh, babe, I miss you too. A lot. You have no idea how I want to go back. But considering the circumstances, how are things back there?"

"Dull" he said "Even Eve's arguments aren't that plausible. It's boring now, fighting with her"

"I think she's just trying hard to cheer you up while I'm not there"

"Nah, if she was trying, she wouldn't be so lame about it. She's going through a rough patch too, she and Michael. Kind of hard to sleep sometimes with the entire door slamming at night thing"

"Really? What happened?"

"I'll fill you in when you get back. Right now let's forget the hell out of them and concentrate on each other. So, what're you been up to?"

She paced back and forth, a smile plastered on her face "It's top secret, remember? Amelie is going to have a fit when someone knows"

"Yeah I figured" he said

"And you? What're you up to while your girlfriend is in a laboratory mixing chemicals after another?"

He laughed "Okay, that was hot. The whole girlfriend is in a lab thing. It makes the both of us sound so fancy and sophisticated. Well if you want to know the truth I've started seeing somebody"

Her brows furrowed "What?"

"_Re-lax_" he stressed the word. "I was seeing your mom. And partly your Dad but I got a feeling he hasn't succumbed to my awesome charms yet—" She rolled her eyes "—Every time I go visit, your Dad like, walks out or something. I mean, do I really smell that bad?"

"Maybe you need to increase deodorant intake?" she suggested lightly

"Maybe..." he said teasingly "But I would want to give a natural impression to them. I wouldn't want to look like I try too hard you know? And your mom totally loves me by the way. You should've seen her dropping hints about getting a grandchild—"

"A _what_?"

"Just kidding babe..."

As Shane droned on about his visit to her parent's house and she listened and laughed at the things he shared about, she realized that she was really glad to hear his voice again. And that she really wanted to see him in person. To hug him and kiss him, and know that he was there right beside her, but as those things aren't possible as of the moment, she had to excruciatingly make use of the alternatives. This still left a bit of dissatisfaction in her.

"Well I'm glad to hear you had fun" she told him

"It would be funner if you're here with me." He said sincerely "I miss you so fucking much. Gah, I must be crazy but I want to shout it out to the whole world. God, don't you ever get a day off?"

She chuckled "I wish. But I'll be back really soon, though. I promise you"

"Yeah... I know you will. Just stay away from that bloodsucker okay, Claire? I don't like the idea of the both of you sharing the same roof. It's unsettling. He looks at you funny, that one. It makes me want to stab him with a stake every time" He told her bitterly "Anyway, did that old sucker try flirting with you yet?"

She frowned at him, forgetting that he can't see her. "No, Shane. He doesn't. We are both busy working on a project and what you are suggesting is just gross. And will you please stop calling him bloodsucker or old sucker—"

She turned around from the table, and gasped when she saw that Myrnin was standing there in front of her, his eyes annoyed. He was wearing a normal-looking black coat that made his pale skin stand out more than ever.

"Claire?" said Shane "Babe, you there?"

"Yeah. I just...um, I need to go"

His eyes never left hers

"What? Why—?"

"I'll call you really soon! Bye!"

After she clicked the phone off, she looked up and gave Myrnin a nervous smile

"Hey, I didn't know you're back"

"I am" he said to her quietly "For six minutes now, exactly"

"So...you heard...?"

He didn't answer her right away. Instead, he looked away and proceeded into checking on his apparatuses, doing activities such as smelling test tubes, stacking powdered chemicals, straightening picture frames, and even adjusting his microscopes. She watched him work, bemused. "Believe me, Claire" he said, his back turned to her "When I say that the insults Mr. Collins were throwing at me weren't something that I haven't heard before. And his behaviour—unsurprisingly—is something that one already expects him to be: uncouth. He does lack in the manner department, if I may say things so frankly"

"You don't have to call him uncouth, you know" she said, annoyed

"I can call him whatever I please myself to call him. It would be unfair if I do not have anything named after him as well, don't you think? If he says I'm a 'bloodsucker' which I don't deny, but is generally just a very rude description for someone like me, then I am in perfect liberty to call him 'uncouth' which is generally not a rude description of him at all, but just a true one"

"Alright, fine. It's just that, He's upset that's all. He wants me to come back to him now. He misses me"

He finally turned his body to look at her. He put down his microscope back to the table before saying in a sarcastic tone, "How romantic! I've no idea being upset is an excuse nowadays to be rude to others. Is that how the contemporary young adult mind work nowadays? And it's barely a week! You're here for what, four days? And you both sound as if you were away from each other for decades! Aren't you over-dramatic?"

"Myrnin,why are you so intense about this?" she exclaimed "Look, I get that he insulted you behind your back but you heard it, then it offended you. Now, as Shane's girlfriend—" She noticed a muscle twitch from his face "—I want to say sorry, okay? In his behalf! He wasn't really thinking. So please. Will you back off and just calm yourself down? God, you should've told me you were right behind me the whole time I was on the phone, in the first place."

He sighed "Fine. I'm sorry if I sound uptight. Amelie just happens to give me more than the pressure I am used to."

She crossed her arms and looked at him cautiously. "Okay"

They just stood there silently for a long while, a bit of awkwardness lurking around them, but then Myrnin broke the silence by returning to being her boss "I assume that you've done your homework and other chores?"

"Yep"

"Very Good" he beamed at her for the first time today. "As a reward for your hard work, I took the time to stop by the—"

"Doughnut shop" she said in a monotonous voice, rolling her eyes. It was like that every single time they accomplished something together. He always bought her doughnuts.

"Yes!" he perked up, revealing a doughnut box from his bag "How did you guess?"

"Because we always eat doughnuts every frickin' time, remember?" she said to him, exasperated "I don't even like doughnuts that much. You always buy them only because they're your favourite"

"Oh, stop complaining" he opened the box cheerfully and held up a chocolate-frosted doughnut "How can you say no to this majestic work of art?"

She scowled at the doughnut he held in front of her "Come on, Claire. Just one bite"

"No!"

He swung the doughnut back and forth with his hand, as if tempting her "The doughnut will think that you have a terrible taste in the culinary art products if you don't succumb to your senses"

"No!"

"Claire—"

"DO NOT FORCE ME, MYRNIN"

"Come on"

"No!"

"Open your mouth and feel the lusciousness of this delicacy"

"Myrnin, don't even think about it!"

"Please?"

"Open, open, open!"

"No, no, no, no! Ha! That's four 'Nos' against your three 'opens'!"

"Please, please, please, please, please" he smirked "Five 'pleases' against your four 'nos'"

"Ugh! FINE! If this gets to shut you up" Then she grabbed the doughnut from his grasp angrily and took a bite. And just to spite him, she chewed loudly and said, "And by the way, you owe me because I stepped on your death scroll this morning. Have you ever tried stepping on your own ancient scrolls, Myrnin? My God, they killed my foot a while there"

He listened, horrified "It did? I'm terribly sorry if it brought you that. Please know that dropping a scroll to your room is only for the intention of bringing you a message, not bring you pain."

"That's nice" she said, chewing loudly still, "I received both message_ and _pain though, you must be so pleased. You know I kind of have this hunch that you did that on purpose. Am I right? Because I know you're that kind who doesn't let go of grudges. And judging from our fight four days ago, I can pretty much say you were tempted to spite me—"

He wasn't listening at her fully, she noticed. To put things simply, and to avoid the underlying awkwardness of repeating her observations, Myrnin was just standing there, looking at her intensely while the box of doughnuts in his hand lay limp and forgotten. And, to put things in an even more awkward state, the way he looked at her just sent her a strong kind of chill to her body, the sudden zap in her pulse and the fast beating of her heart. Only then did she comprehend—a bit—as to why Shane always had that different hostility to Myrnin. Could he be telling the truth?

_Stay away from that bloodsucker okay, Claire? I don't like the idea of the both of you sharing the same roof. It's unsettling. He looks at you funny, that one. It makes me want to stab him with a stake every time._

Shane did warn her.

She was surprised when Myrnin suddenly moved to stand directly in front of her. "Claire" he said "You have a bit of a grime here" And then he did it—the kind of thing that Shane fears the most—he touched her with his cold fingers and wiped away the dirt from the side of her mouth, barely skimming her lips with the side of his palm. She froze as he touched her, even if she felt a bit of a tingle down her spine.

"There, now it's gone. Be sure to eat carefully next time, you wouldn't want to look messy"

She jerked away from him and looked at him oddly "Right"

He too must've regained his senses because he took a step back and tucked his hands behind him. "I'm sorry. Did I—make you...uncomfortable?"

"No" she lied, trying hard to slip away from gawkiness' grip "Anyway, can we _please_ get back to work? We have a deadline, remember? You wouldn't want your fellow vamps turning into a vamp-barbecue, would you?"

He motioned her to wear her lab coat all the while shaking his head, amused "You really are terrible at cracking jokes"

She did put on her lab coat and proceeded into her own desk, piling rack after rack of test tubes in front of her. "Nah," she said to him, a small smile on her lips "It's that you vampire people generally don't know how to appreciate humour"

"Ha! Was that supposed to upset me?"

"Not upset, just a fact" she picked up one test tube and examined it thoroughly

"Get to work, Claire" he said to her

"Of course" she murmured against the test tube "He plays the _boss card_ when he knows he lost an argument"

"I heard that"

"Yes, boss. I'm working, I'm working. Calm down"

After few moments of working in silence, Claire took a small peep at Myrnin's work desk. To her surprise, he was already looking at her with the same intense eyes as before. She looked away immediately and bent her head down to her work. _Shane was right!_ She thought in panic _Holy cow, he was right dead on!_ She must've stood there for a while, contemplating, because she failed to notice that a boiling chemical has managed to reach the brim of its container. Inevitably, it spilled on the table, sizzling and bubbling as it did so. And Claire, who was still dumb-founded by her latest discovery, forgot that her left hand was resting on the said table.

"OW!" she screamed, feeling the sharp, stinging pain of the chemical "OW!"

Myrnin was immediately right beside her, looking at her hand. He had a contemplative look in his face.

Tears started forming in her eyes as the sensation worsened "OW, OW, OW!" she turned to look at Myrnin in panic "Oh My God! Will I die?"

He rolled his eyes at her "Don't be a drama queen, Claire"

She managed to chuckle at that despite the pain "Touché" then: "OW! It hurts! OW!"

"You've been extremely careless" he scolded "Good thing this burn is minor. Hold on, let me get my bag"

She watched him go then come back. He let her sit on a stool as he cleaned her hand with very cold water for twenty minutes. After all the remnants of the chemical were gone, she gasped in a shocked breath when she saw that the skin on her left hand was a raw red. He shushed her pained moans as he applied a cream on the bruise. He then wrapped the gauze around it. When he was finished, he returned her hand and sighed at her. "How does it feel now?"

"It's numb"

"Yes. In a few hours all you will feel is numbness. But it wears off eventually, and you will feel the burning sensation again. So here" he handed her the cream for burns "spread it on the bruise when you feel the pain again"

"Thank you, Myrnin" she said, putting a tint of embarrassment in as she accepted the tube "I mean it. Thank you for healing me, for making a phone charger, even for rewarding me with stupid doughnuts. I appreciate it"

"Huh" He was surprised "And here I thought it wasn't in your chromosomes to be grateful to someone like me"

She rolled her eyes and muttered "Drama Queen"

To which he retaliated by sticking his tongue out at her in the most childish way possible "Short"

They continued back to work thereafter, while Myrnin's thoughts keep replaying what Amelie told him earlier that day: _While you're at it, try to enjoy the girl's presence. Consider her a gift... for you to be motivated and inspired. And maybe, tell her how you feel. That helps too._

When he looked back at a working Claire, who was carefully maneuvering her left hand to a more comfortable position, he said to himself: _When the moment presents itself, maybe I will tell her._

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks guys! Reviews are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She already knew the risks when it comes to working with science. Dealing with chemicals most especially, proved to be the trickiest and most dangerous when it comes to experimentation. One of the inevitable accidents happened at her school a year ago, when that skanky friend of Monica's poured acid down her back. It was unpleasant, and the pain was excruciating, but it was gone very quickly after medication. She'd felt a bit withdrawn after that incident. Still enthusiastic with science, but careful and withdrawn.

That had been a worthwhile lesson of knowing to never turn your back on your enemies at especially hazardous times like handling chemicals. Particularly when your enemy's name was the glamorous Monica Morell who had two flanking buddies of vapid bitches with her and didn't give a flipping damn if she did wrong because her father—brother now, was the mayor and she can get away with anything.

However, the incident _clearly_ did not teach her enough lessons about being cautious.

She'd done it again, the clumsy part. First, it was her leg, then her hand. What was next? Her heart? Bad analogy maybe, but she thinks it made a bit of sense when she pondered further about the way Myrnin was looking at her. It was the root of the accident, if she was being honest, but it didn't make a lot of sense to her when she really thinks about it, because she feels unhinged and aggravated deep in her belly. Should she tell Shane that he was right? What would he say? Will he get mad? Probably. And he'd come running to the lab with a silver-tipped stake ready in his hand.

No

It was best if she keeps her observations to herself. Frankly, she doesn't know what to feel about this yet.

When they'd finished the first phase of the experiment, Myrnin decided to call it a wrap and continue the rest of the phases tomorrow. He'd wished her good night before retreating to his own room. And Claire retreated to hers. The bruise on her hand had slowly slipped away from the numbness, and the pain started to gradually come back. So before she went to bed, she removed the gauze and applied a bit of the cream to it. She flinched when she saw how singed her skin was. It was a combination of red and black.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she muttered, her shoulders slumping

If she'd committed this accident in the Glass House, she was willing to bet she wouldn't feel that much pain. Call it biased, but she'd just know what her friends would do. They'd console her for an hour, then they'd get over it and convince her to do the same, and then they'd laugh over it while Shane was cooking chilli and Eve driving her down to a 24 hour shop for some ice cream. And then they'd all be eating chilli and ice cream for dinner in the living room because Michael and Shane will be playing the zombie game in the play station. And everyone will forget about her stupid bruise because they are having so much fun, even her.

She sighed. She missed her friends so much.

OOO

It was a weird because when she woke up, she found herself sitting beside Michael. They were in the glass house living room and both of them were drinking a soda, while she watched him play his game. She didn't remember being confused about where she was. Instead, she just sat there noiselessly as if it was what she did all day. Then Michael suddenly paused his game, downed a bit of the soda and asked her,

"He likes you, you know"

"Who?" she asked

"You know" he smirked, as if the answer was hidden right there "Myrnin"

"Oh" she said "I don't know what to say to that—It's creepy, isn't it?"

He shrugged, picking up the idle guitar sitting beside him and laying it against his body horizontally. Slowly, he started to tinker the strings. "Maybe, Maybe not. But it's up to how you look at it. I mean, the dude seriously got it bad, I can tell—but it's down to what you think about it. About _him_. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks"

She picked up her soda and downed it, thinking about what he said "Shane is going to have more than a fit when he knows about this"

Michael chuckled "Claire, he knew. He knew right from the start. That's the reason he doesn't like Myrnin more than the usual reason of you know... being a bloodsucker"

"I don't like him that way" she protested "Seriously, I don't. I just can't imagine Myrnin and I— can you see it? Not Really. It's vague, and a bit gross. I don't even know why you brought this up"

"Yeah, I don't know why I did either. It just got me thinking, you know. He's very lonely, I can see that."

"So you're a people reader now, aren't you?" she laughed

He grinned back at her "A bit. It's a talent. Kidding aside though, I know he is. Lonely, I mean. And remember that time when he visited us because he wanted to give you your reading assignment? And you personally asked him to stay for dinner? His eyes lit up at that, you'd think it was Christmas."

"Michael—"

"He's a crazy guy, Claire" said Michael "A bit cold and distant too, but he doesn't give you the kind of treatment he gives everybody else"

"Which is?"

"Someone he can use, or someone he can eat"

She shuddered "What makes you think he doesn't treat me like someone he can use or eat? He failed me— _us._ A lot of times. He's crazy"

"He's saved you a couple of times though. And he's not even the superhero type."

"Look, can we just drop this? I think I'm kind of freaking out"

He laughed again "Don't be. Sorry again if I brought that up, I was just bothered about it"

"It's cool" Deep inside her, her nerves were frayed. Her conversation with Michael brought up a whole new perspective, another option. Myrnin was just a friend, wasn't he? And she knows he doesn't really like her like that because he was still broken hearted from Ada's death. And if he _really did_ like her, then she was willing to bet it was only because of her brain.

Besides, she was in love with Shane for God's sake! They're together. She lost her v-card to him, he was her soul mate, they were there for each other, he loves her, and she loves him.

See?

She stood up from the couch and was about to get some water when Michael's hand clasped around hers. Immediately, she felt the pain of her left hand, as if she was burned by his touch.

"Claire, think about it" he said to her while she shrieked with agony

"Let go, let go, let go!" she screamed

"He likes you, Claire"

"LET GO, MICHAEL! ARGHHHHH!"

_Let go..._

And then she woke up panting hard right there on the bed, in her room, inside Myrnin's dingy laboratory. And she noticed the pool of sweat gathering in her neck, and all the other parts of her body including her upper lip, the crooks in her arms and legs, and even her back. She felt as if she ran for a marathon. As soon as her senses came back to her, she satisfied herself at the thought that all of it wasn't real. She wasn't really in the Glass House. Michael was not there, and if he was, she was sure he'd never say those things to her. There was no soda or zombie game. It was just her breathing heavily on her bed, surrounded by darkness.

It was a fucking dream.

And right now, as of the moment, her recollection about her vivid dream ebbed away as soon as she realized that what woke her up wasn't really the dream, but the upsurge of pain on her burnt hand.

Her left hand was hurting so bad that she let it stay limp to avoid any more pain. She tried to wait it out, she was a patient person. She waited for the pain to subside. But it didn't. Instead, the pain has gotten immensely worse than the last time. What is wrong with her bruise? In panic, she tried to find the burn cream Myrnin gave to her. When she found it, she hastily uncapped the tube and applied a huge amount of cream into her swollen hand.

And she tried waiting again, for the pain to be gone.

But it didn't. And her panic grew. She was having the reoccurrence of being a ten year old again, asking her mom every time she had a small bruise: Will I die? And that's what she was thinking about right now. She was thinking if she will die tonight if the pain doesn't stop. The agony of waiting for the numbness was excruciating, really.

"Myrnin" she said, recalling his existence. She suddenly remembered his room was right across from hers.

He could help, can't he?

Not thinking twice, she jumped off her bed and ran all the way out to his door, knocking in panic.

"Myrnin!" she called "Open the door, please. I need help!"

It took him three seconds to open the door. When he saw her face, he immediately motioned her to enter his room. She didn't bother questioning this. Instead she went in quickly with no objections. Somehow she just knew he was going to save her. For a split second, that's what her mind was thinking of: Him saving her. He wasn't the type to save anyone at all. He usually saves himself if he can get away with it. But he saves her, a lot of times. And he was no superhero.

Why did she feel as if someone already told her that? Myrnin saving her even if he wasn't the super hero type?

"It has worsened, hasn't it?" he said grimly

"Yes!" she said, tears forming in her eyes "It hurts so bad"

"Come, Claire" he dragged her to his lonely looking bathroom and let her sit on the toilet while he kneeled in front of her "Only my room has a connection of an ice-cold water system" he said to her as he untied the gauze in her hand. She watched him do that, trying to forget about the pain.

"Why is that?" she managed to ask

"Because I love cold water on my skin" he said, almost sounding embarrassed by this fact "Is that bad?"

"No" she said "Just different"

"Well, now what was the chemical that burned you?"

"Sodium Hydroxide"

"Ah, excellent. I was correct." Then he opened his faucet and ran the icy water against her left hand. "Cold water counteracts the pain. We have to do this for an hour or so, to fully remove the sensation. Can you do that, Claire?"

"Yes. As long as the pain will go away" she shivered at the icy water's feel of running against the burn. She wasn't feeling a lot of pain now, but it was still there, just a quiet one. "Will you stay with me, Myrnin?"

She looked at him as he stooped down to her eye level, his curly hair sticking to the side of his temples, and looked at her with his big brown eyes. Slowly, he allowed his hand to travel on her bruised hand "Always" And then for a while, they just sat there, in his bathroom, while her bruised hand was ran over with icy water, and they were looking at each other with looks that might contain a lot of questions. With that thought in mind, she felt the pain subside. But she barely noticed because she was looking at Myrnin—who was so _so pretty_. She felt his other hand—the free one—travel up to her other free hand. And it stayed there, their hands intertwined with no questions or validations whatsoever.

The sensation was quite nice.

OOO

"Does it still hurt?"

Two hours later, the both of them are still within Myrnin's bathroom. Although her back was stiff as a rock, nothing compared to the frost-bite feeling of her left hand submerged into cold water. Claire tried her very best to hold on, even if the rest of her arm was numb and had lost its blood circulation. When she was on the verge of withdrawing her hand away due to fatigue, Myrnin was always there to hold her arm steady.

"Yes, but only because of the cold water" she replied "How long do we have to do this?"

His eyes showed the compassion he felt for her "A few more minutes. You need to hold on and finish this, I believe. And while I know that you humans have very short attention span or patience, I suggest that you ramble on something trivial to distract yourself from time"

She racked her brains – desperately – for something to talk about. However, like her arm, her mind was just as numb, resulting from no sleep. So she started blathering on things she did not think twice to say, which was:

"If you were given a chance to choose another career, would you still have chosen to be a scientist?"

She didn't know if she was being rude by asking that. She knows that there's a line between them as employer and employee, something that she should never dare try to transcend, and right now as soon as that question let out of her mouth, she feels as if she was walking bare foot on dangerous grounds.

She saw his eyebrows rise in surprise. "That's an interesting question. What made you ask that? Did I give you such impression that I do not like my scientific work?"

"Just answer me, Myrnin"

"Well, I am quite touched. No one has asked me such a personal question for the last 5 decades"

"Sorry, was that too personal?"

"No. Not, actually. However those kinds of questionings never fail to make my kind marvel at the interest of other...species in my species. Very well, I shall answer that with pure verity, since you have asked with such vulnerability on your part." His eyes glazed over, remembering. "I was raised very rationally by my elders. I have learned what was right, and what was not. I was educated by my own father, who was a far descendant of Aristotle. He was brilliant, my father. And he wanted me to know everything there is to know about the world we live in. I did enjoy it, all the academia, but my mother, who was a great believer of everything having its own balance, was secretly teaching me to play instruments. Like the piano, for one. Another is the violin, and trumpet."

"I enjoyed music more than academe, but of course, brilliant as I at a very young age, knows that it is a mistake to share that information to my father. So I learned sciences by day and crept down the wooden cabin with my mom to play music by night. That has been my form of entertainment back then, when I see children play with others, I feel strongly, and think about my piano – my friend – waiting for me every night. And somehow, I was alright with that, my only friend being a non-living"

He gave her a gentle smile "So if I were to choose, as you put it that way, I would have wanted to travel the world and share my music with people"

"I had no idea you were sort of a musician" she said, amazed "What I mean is that I didn't even suspect that you have a double life or something"

He chuckled "I do not think 'double life' is an appropriate term. What's closer is 'secret life' but it's barely a secret now, since I've told you"

"Doesn't anyone else know?"

"Surely not" he said "I don't think anyone else will be interested in knowing a piece of information from a trap door spider. And besides, that part of me has long been silenced by my pursuit for scientific knowledge. That is much more important, if you really muse about these things, you would realize science can save countless lives more than music can"

"Well...I disagree" she folded her lips together "I think they're both important factors, Myrnin. Look at Michael. He likes music, and plays it for everybody. And just by that single amount of infinity confined within his music, and people listening to it, he has managed to save lives. Many people around the world have problems, or are depressed or just plain sad and alone. Yes, science can save a lot of lives, but music has the potential save all of humanity"

He looked at her very sharply after that, as if she'd grown three heads, before cocking his head to the side, contemplating "I think..." he removed her left hand away from the running water "That your hand is okay now"

She jumped off the toilet quickly and stretched her arms "Oh, God. That feels so good" She then proceeded to check on her bruise and had the surprise of her life when she saw that it was barely visible now.

"For extra measure, let me put back your bandage and let the bruise heal on its own without dangers of contamination"

That said, he lead her back to his room. She never quite noticed what it looked like because she'd been writhing with pain a while back, but now that the pain was gone, she focused clearly around her and saw his four poster bed with white linens, arranged and folded neatly at the very side of the room. There were row after row of shelves filled with books, a fireplace beside it, a dingy-looking closet, and on the farthest side from her, was a grand piano which looks as if it had been sitting there for a long while, not used and collecting dust.

"Myrnin" she called

"Hm?" He was opening cabinets after cabinets and barely noticed what she was doing. When he finally found a bandage to wrap her hand around with, he turned to look at her and frowned when he realized that Claire had noticed the piano.

"Can you—?"

"Certainly not!"

"Please" she said, adding a bit of a whipping-of-the-eyelashes effect.

"No"

"Just one song, Myrnin! Come on!" she said "Did you see the look on your piano?"

"Still a piano?"

She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, "No! It looks so lonely. It misses your fingers playing on it. Duh. And besides," she walked towards the piano and dragged her finger across the side. "Ew, it's collecting dust. So it's extremely clear that you have not played on it for a long time. Maybe even before I was born"

"Oh, don't be such an exaggerator. It was less than a decade"

"Even then" she argued "Please, please. For me"

She looked at him while he contemplated, his face being pulled by invisible strings from his indecisiveness. This must be hard for him, she thought. To come back to something he once loved, and be reminded of it again. She knew it was painful. She was about to tell him to forget it, that she was sorry she tried to force him, when she saw him put down the plaster he was holding, and sweep gracefully towards the grand piano.

"Fine. But only because you have a pitiful bruise on what was supposed to be your dainty hand"

"Wait, I changed my mind" she said guiltily when he positioned himself in front of the keyboard. "I'm sorry I asked"

"Shut up, girl" he shushed her. "Feeling guilt at the most inopportune moments is vastly overrated" Then an array of intricate notes came pouring out from the piano, surprising her. "This one is my most favourite"

The most familiar and popular starting notes of _Fur Elise_ started then, and she watched him as he closed his eyes, his fingers effortlessly gliding against the keys like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like breathing.

"Okay" she said, impressed "_That_ is overrated, but still..."

"There's a reason why things become overrated. And this song, happens to be very popular because of its beauty" he changed to another song, an unfamiliar one, and continued "Besides, songs aren't judged based on popularity. Its true factor is known when an individual feels and sympathizes together _with_ the song, no matter how unpopular it is"

He gave her a soft smile "I learned that from my mum"

She settled herself down on his four poster bed, feeling exhausted and watched as he continued to play the unfamiliar song. His face was serious, but his eyes were looking straight and elsewhere— remembering. She decided that maybe, it was good that she asked him. To play, she means. It was because he looked so peaceful-looking for a vampire. It was like seeing him as a human, like Michael, who succumbed to human humdrums, not thinking for once that stepping down to human level was belittling to what was his supposedly superior vampire race.

"What's that song?"

He snapped back, his eyes finding hers "Untitled, as of the present. I made it"

Her shoulders slumped back in surprise "No shit. You should go pack your bags and start a career in Hollywood or something."

He grinned "No, thank you" and he plunged into the chorus, a series of gentle yet catchy notes, before ending it with a final press of his fingers. "Would you like to learn?"

Claire, whose ears perk up when she hears the word 'learn' anytime, was delighted to hear that. "Sure. It's not every day a super vamp who locks his hidden musician side volunteers to teach someone who has no speck of musical genes whatsoever"

He rolled his eyes at her and motioned her to sit beside him.

She felt like a total alien, an outsider to a whole new realm when she sat there beside him and was facing the piano. And she felt something that she never felt very often: intimidation.

"Right" she said nervously "So what to do?"

"Here" He picked her hands up, and placed them to certain black and white keys, her fingers stretching to accommodate the sensation. She tried her best not to wince at the sharp pain her burnt hand gave.

"There" he motioned her to press the keys "That is a C minor"

"Okay"

"And this one," he picked her hands again and gently rearranged them "is a D major"

She pressed it.

"Now try alternating the C minor and D major"

"Hey, this is fun" she giggled, alternating faster

"Very good. Now try the E minor"

She did. And he was delighted that she learned very quickly. He taught her note after note until she could play one verse of his song.

"Splendid, my girl" he beamed "You can be my protégée"

"I'm already your protégée, Myrnin" she said dully "science nerds unite, remember?"

"I think that can be arranged accordingly"

"I thought you didn't want to come back to your music?"

"Well...you _did _force me to play" he said "And anyway, I realized that maybe I shouldn't stop this. It feels very much like losing a limb, like something is missing. And then I played, and found my hands again"

He noticed her look of distaste and added, "Bad analogy, but true"

"You really like playing, don't you?"

He sighed, placing his hands back to his keyboard and pressing a few notes. "Yes, yes I do"

They sat there in silence for a while, and Myrnin started playing the untitled song again, this time more soulfully, and she kept looking at his steady fingers which were pressing each key with grace. When she looked up at his face, he was like in a trance again, but this time, his eyes are closed and his lips were murmuring alien words too quiet for her to hear. The sudden thought about her dream came back to her. Even if it was a dream, her moment together with Myrnin right now made that certain dream feel sensible, like it could happen. To them. And she didn't know how to feel about that, about them having interest for each other because it was just so surreal and unheard of. She continued to look at him, noticing that her heart beat was unsteady.

Myrnin was just so pretty, in that long-ago kind of way. Like his face wasn't made in this generation anymore.

She felt as if they were in this hidden cave, a thousand miles away from people, and they were sharing this special thing. Like they were enclosed into their own little world and detached themselves from others, him playing the piano, while she sat there and listened in silence. For a single second there, she thought she felt attracted to him, just because he was good in playing the piano.

_Hell no, Claire! _She heard a voice that sounded like Shane's, yell at her mentally.

He was no Shane, she reminded herself. That sudden feeling of betrayal hit her, making her feel a big wave of guilt. She panicked and stood up quickly that Myrnin looked at her in surprise.

"I need to go" she mumbled

"I need to put your plaster first"

She sighed and sat back down. "Fine"

She tried to pretend to be oblivious about the looks of confusion Myrnin was sending her way.

When he went back from getting the plaster and started wrapping it around her hand, she said "That untitled song, was that for Ada?"

He didn't answer her. He kept his eyes locked to what he was doing

"Myrnin—"

"Does it matter?" his voice was cold

"I'm sorry I asked" she said "Forget it"

An icy silence followed after that, as Myrnin continued to wrap her hand carefully around with the plaster cast. She hated thinking this, but she didn't fail to notice that Myrnin and she happen to sit very close to each other, sharing that small piano chair, their knees touching. At first, she tried to ignore it, but she found herself looking down at their touching knees, and feeling awkward about it.

"Yes, it was for her" he suddenly said, catching her off guard. "I was trying to cheer her up on a rainy day"

She noticed the sad lines forming at the side of his mouth "Then why not name the song in honour of Ada?" she suggested lightly "Like..._To Ada with love_?" she cringed at her crappy suggestion "Sorry, that was lame"

"Not at all. I'm glad you made an effort to name a nameless song." He wrapped her hand one final time before releasing it back to her lap. "However I have decided, in honour of rediscovering again my love for music— by your persuasion, Claire of all people— to name my song after you"

She was dumb-founded "What?"

He grinned at her "Yes, girl. I will name this song after you. What do you think of _Claire's song of comfort_?"

"Woah" she was still a bit fazed "Wow. Okay. Um, name it all you want, It's your song... Wow, thanks Myrnin, That was unexpected"

"Here, read this" from his chest pocket, he let out a folded parchment and handed it to her.

"What's this?"

"The lyrics. I always bring it with me wherever I go. Always"

She opened the paper. And it said:

_Chin up, my love_

_For the pain is temporary_

_Nothing to worry, my love_

_For you are here beside me_

_Take my hand and grasp it firmly_

_And together let us survive all sorts of rain_

_No harm is harmful enough_

_So long as I'm here_

_Chin up, my love_

_Feel my fervour of affection_

_For the pain that the rain brings_

_Is temporary_

"You're referring to a lover, Myrnin" she pointed out, thereafter

"Yes, that is true"

"I am _not_ your lover"

Realization dawned on his face "Yes that is true"

Another silence happened between them, but it was an awkward one, where the air feels tight and nervous. And Claire wanted to disappear, or do something reckless, like running the hell out of his room and into the portal straight into Shane's familiar arms.

"You may not be my lover Claire" he said to her softly "But you are the closest human I have had contact with for a long time, a friend even. You know in our kind, that there are no friends, only allies and enemies? Just this once, little one, I've felt equality by the existence of your being, and it fascinates me very much, your existence."

She didn't know what to say to him. So she looked down and stared at her lap.

"I want you to know Claire," he hesitated "that whatever it is I feel for you, I feel strongly. I've...never been like this. Never felt like this. Somehow, your own safety has become much more vital to me than mine's. And I am perfectly alright with that"

She could not look at him straight in the eye. What was he saying? Why is he saying all these to her?

"I..." he paused, then cleared his throat "Never mind. You must be tired, go rest"

She sighed in relief, standing up from the chair and pacing back a few steps away, distancing herself away from him. She realized that his existence made her feel claustrophobic, just this once.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"Right" she said "Um, thanks again. For everything. Good Night"

She was about to turn around and run the hell out, as what she'd planned after feeling desperate, when she felt his hand grab her un-bruised one. She gasped in shock, thinking that he decided to have a little midnight snack, but he only stooped his head down the back of her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"Sleep well, Claire"

With clammy hands, and jelly legs, she made it out of his room and into hers in a daze.

_Holy heck, did Myrnin like her?_

* * *

**A/N:** I thank every single one of you who took their time reading this, I really appreciate it, you guys. I just want to inform you that I might not be updating as quickly as before. College happened, and it's been pretty crazy. But I'll try my best to write, though. I'll update as quick as my time can manage._  
_

Take Care, now! And Review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:** Almost kissed

The proceeding days inside Myrnin's laboratory have been increasingly busy and hectic. There wasn't a moment where Claire didn't do any scientific or analytical work. Either she was weighing, mixing, or tabulating things, endlessly working on the cure that Amelie has so needed from them(and the ticket to Claire's freedom). Myrnin, who looked bedraggled himself, did twice as work as she does. He was always in a hustle and bustle around the lab in blinding speed, almost always forgetting that he needed to sleep or eat, and had Claire to do the reminding for him.

Admittedly, Claire was grateful for the busy atmosphere. This is to hide the underlying awkwardness accumulating between them. After her embarrassing incident of being burnt by a chemical, things had been a bit 'loose' between them. And by lose, meaning detached and civil. As if they had not undergone any physical contact for two hours or as if he had not played the piano for her and named a song after her.

Shane, who has decided to regularly call Claire late at night, never failed to remind her to 'watch her back' and to 'always bring a stake in the pocket', usually together with his same anguished tone of displeasure and bitterness. He told her also, to be careful around the '_bloodsucking leech'_ as if he has not reminded her every time he called. Claire, who was starting to get tired and irritated of his unnecessary reminders, kept on switching topics to distract him.

There was this one time when him and Claire were talking on the phone, and Eve suddenly intervened, kicking Shane out of the room so that she and Claire could talk privately. After a few witty exchange that comprised mostly of _"you suck!"_ and _"bite me_, _loser"_, some screaming and physical noises of hitting, Shane finally gave in and left Eve to talk to her in private.

"That went well" said Eve sarcastically while Claire laughed on the other line "God, he sounds like a miserable fat kid with no cake—except that, you're the cake here Claire, and he must love you _so dang_ much not to waste any _dang _second not hearing your voice. Isn't that paranoid or what? Anyway, how are you? Are you coming back here or are you claiming that grungy lab your permanent residence?"

"I'm okay. Everything's in control here. Well I do have to make a conscious effort to make it like that—in control, I mean. But yes, as of the moment, I'm fine, I'm alive and no, I have no bite marks"

"Thank Jesus in heaven for that!" said Eve "But when will you be coming back?"

"Oh yeah about that... I'm not really sure when I can get back over there. No one's keen on letting me out, apparently"

"Trust me Claire, Shane and I are so keen. Speak the word and we'll be over there, towing with us a flamethrower, if that's what it'll take to get you out. It would be so bad-ass."

She laughed "That's sweet, Eve. But I don't think Amelie's gonna like that very much"

"Yeah, I figured that wouldn't be the bad-ass part of the whole rescue mission."

"I figured too" Claire giggled "Anyway, how's everything back there? Is everything okay with you and Michael now?"

There was a long pause, and Claire had thought that Eve had hang up, but she spoke again after a while, and this time, Eve's voice was a little shaky, "He's not living in the glass house anymore Claire"

"He _what?_ Eve! What the heck is going on?"

Eve gave a troubled sigh "At first he was a little incoherent, like he's troubled. We fought and talked about it, but he was getting a bit weird. Like he's sick or something. So we turned to Amelie for help, and she figured out what's up with him in like, three seconds. She said something about him getting too much 'sun exposure' I don't know, but she pretty much blamed the _goddam_ sun like it's bad or something, then she told us Michael's not suppose to live with humans until he's well. So we let him pack and go, now he's out there"

"What?" Claire's mind was racing. So it was true, the sun has started to affect the Morganville vampires, and to Michael, no less. "Why didn't Shane tell me anything?"

"We didn't want to distract you by worrying. But I guess I wanted to tell you now. I feel like I'm gonna explode if I don't. Besides, Shane isn't exactly girl material. So he didn't get my feelings, you know?"

Claire heard her blowing her nose.

"I miss him"

"That is just sad, Eve" she said "I'm so sorry, but do you know where he is now?"

"No, nobody is telling me anything at all"

"It's alright. I know he can take care of himself. Eve, don't worry too much, okay?"

After they hung up, and Claire went to bed, she still thought hard. Michael was a newborn vampire, and if the sun has started to distribute the mystery illness to the vulnerable vamps, then she was sure it would waste no time to affect more stronger vampires if she and Myrnin aren't fast enough to make the cure. This alarming news troubled her more than ever, and for once, she wished that she was a vampire, so that she had the super-human abilities like Myrnin, just to make the scientific work faster.

It was the day after that phone call, that she decided to tell her boss the news about Michael.

"I am unsurprised" he said to her after she gasped out the alarming news. "And yes, I had expected something like this to transpire, although I did not wish for this to be happen to your friend at all"

She sighed in exasperation, his eyebrows meeting in the middle "If you're aware, then why aren't we making any progress? I thought we were in charge of the cure?"

"We _are_ in charge, Claire" he said with an annoyed tone "and let me correct you young one: our progress has quickened upon the development of the titanium oxide. There is no need for your human paroxysm in an overwrought time such as this"

There he was again with his calmness at the most unexpected moments. Claire swore Myrnin had never been in control until now. She wanted to throw things again, just to satisfy the burning frustration deep within her chest. But she knew nobody would appreciate that at all. So what she did, she slumped on a stool and rested her head on the table countertop.

"Ugh!" she fumed "this sucks"

A few seconds later, she heard Myrnin's footsteps approaching, and then his hand was around her after that, coiling around her back softly, as if he was being careful. "Hush, Claire" he said softly "look at me"

She did.

And he was so close to her, but not very much that they could kiss. It was just the proximity that they would never normally go for, the one that transcended the employer and employee line, and it transcended indeed, with his big brown eyes boring into hers seriously, and his arms patting her back in a careful way.

"Claire, darling, master your emotions. Michael needs you. And for you to help with the only way you could, you need to stop and ignore your frustrations and get started on formulating the cure. Think about it, you can do absolutely nothing for him outside, nor can I do something for my kind. But if we lock ourselves here, and do our work as quickly and as accurately as possible, then there is a chance that we are offering them the biggest help they need"

With his thumb, he wiped the wetness accumulating in her eyes, before smiling at her. "Okay?"

"Okay" she gave him a small broken smile "Let's get back to work"

"Now that is the Claire I know

ooo

Their work, suffice to say, has actually improved a whole lot after Claire's newfound enthusiasm to find the cure. And also due to the development of the titanium oxide, Myrnin— just as well—is in high spirits. Due to their inspiration, by the end of the day, half of their work is done and the goal of making the cure is getting nearer and nearer, this results into an enormously hyperactive Myrnin, and a cheerful Claire.

"Claire, come here!"

At once, Claire came running to his side. He pointed at the bubbling substance stored in a transparent container, his eyes alight with excitement. "When this solidifies, then we will have in our hands the very first copy of what I call the vampire version of penicillin. This, as far as I have lived, is our greatest scientific achievement. Now, go child, and grab me my oldest bottle of wine. This is a night of celebration!"

And Claire, who doesn't have the slightest clue where his oldest bottle might be, ignored her confusion and tried to find the bottle instead, all the while, heart singing with joy at the thought of finally helping Michael to get better.

"Myrnin" she called behind her shoulders, after about a fashion of looking "I have no idea where to look"

"It's in the farthest closet, the auburn one!" Even then, his voice still sounds enthusiastic.

When she got back with the dustiest bottle she's ever seen in her entire life, she found Myrnin sitting on the couch, who when he saw her, smiled and motioned her to sit and join him. She set the bottle down before sitting. As she did so, she noticed two glasses perched on the table.

"You do realize I'm a minor, right?" she said "I'm not allowed to drink?"

"Yes, yes" he said absent-mindedly as he popped the cork "I am well-aware. You can whip yourself up with children's drink, if you'd like"

"A what?"

He looked at her, a small smile on his lips. "I was jesting" To which she was surprised about, since her boss _never_ joke. Him, showing her this side of him is scary, and a bit thrilling. "Here. A tiny sip of wine will do." He gave her one jigger of wine. Then continued, "A shame, really, if you turn it down, this wine was a gift from a King in England, this happens to be very rare."

She took one look at the brown liquid, and smelt it with a crumpled nose, before taking a small sip. She almost blanched.

"Here's to a successful experiment!" he lifted his glass and clinked it with hers before downing it, and smacking his lips in pleasure. "This is mighty excellent"

Claire, as well, decided to down her drink. The effect was simultaneously overwhelming. She felt the burn in her throat travelling down her stomach, her head had gotten woozy and her eyesight blurry. But she blinked, and it was gone. Just like that.

Myrnin poured himself another glass, and she sat there, watching him.

"Can I ask you something?" she said

"Of course"

"I don't mean to be a total let down, considering that we're in such a good mood...but" she bit her lip, eyes shifting downwards "There's just something that bothers me. Or scares me."

He stopped dusting off the bottle to look at her, and immediately his mood changed. He turned serious. "What bothers you, Claire?"

"Do you really think this is it?" she asked, "I mean, what if it turns out to be a total B.S.? What if it's unsuccessful?"

"Claire" he said "You underestimate your capabilities"

She sighed "But that's the point, isn't it? If I don't underestimate, and just let everything be, what assurance will I get that it will be a success?"

"Then I will be enormously sad and disappointed if our hard work is put to waste. But will that be my reason to give up? I don't think so. After all, I still am a science genius. I make mistakes and move on, but this time, there's no room for mistakes when every single vampire is counting on us to be successful, and so, this lefts us with no choice but to give every ounce of our intelligence and heart into what we are doing, and have a big amount of trust. Trust in ourselves, in our capabilities, and most of all, trust in each other" he paused and looked up to smile at her "Trust" he said "is the answer Claire. Do you trust me?"

Now asking her if she trusted him was always an issue, even before now. And the way he was looking at her now, his eyes all serious and scrutinizing, made her more contemplative. She wasn't saying that he wasn't trust-worthy. But Myrnin was very volatile, even if he is sane. No one, even Amelie, can predict what he will do. So she tried to listen to her senses, searching for answers at the very back of her skull, the one that she always tried very hard to bury deep within, and she remembered who he is, when he is with her. And she realized, that maybe, she really did trust him even if he is a bit crazy. Maybe she even trusted him more than Amelie.

"Yes" she said, meaning it "I trust you, Myrnin."

"Good, because I trust you more than I trust myself."

ooo

Half a bottle of wine consumed later, Myrnin's face was a colour of light pink, and Claire was all slumped on the couch, a wine glass on her hand. It wasn't him that asked her to drink this time. But after all the stress and endless work, she thought that maybe she deserved to drink and forget that such horror is inflicting Morganville, and that their task with Myrnin at hand is tremendously large, that if they fail, Morganville will sink. And they would take the blame.

So she drank, and regretted nothing. Because this is what people do sometimes, escape.

"You know what I would do first if I ever get out of Morganville?" she said, her words slurring a bit "I would go to a normal town. And continue college. And maybe I would want Shane to propose to me so that we can get married. That too, would be great. Oh, God. I miss him so much. What do you think is he doing back home? Is he thinking about me too?"

And Myrnin, who had been grinning moments ago, immediately looked sour. "I have absolutely no idea what Mr. Collins is doing, nor do I give a single amount of care—"

"Shane is my soul mate" she whispers, "Sometimes when I'm with him, it just feels so right. Like I've found my purpose in the world, and he just...completes who I am, you know?"

"No, I don't"

"And I miss him so freaking much that if I ever see him again, I will hug him super tight and kiss him until I cannot breathe!"

"Not a pretty picture of you" he said "Anyway, I do not think I needed to hear that"

"And you know what else, Myrnin? I'd probably never look at anyone as much as I look at him, it's crazy right? But I am so sure he'll be the boy I'd end up with"

He set his glass down calmly and turned to face her. "You're drunk. I think you should go to bed and rest"

"No, no" she tried to whack Myrnin's hand when he tried to help her up, but is unsuccessful. "I think I can handle one more glass"

He sighed and let her be. "Claire, you know this isn't you."

"Isn't me how?"

"You, as an example of today's sappy version of young adult, I believe there has been too many of them, and you don't fit well to be in it."

"That's not true" she said "Every single person can get sappy when they feel it, especially when they're in love. They turn into sappy bastards. And here I am, and I don't even care if I sound so sappy that I sound like a sentimental poet, I just want to say what I feel"

"You're pretty definite about these things, aren't you?" he said "Haven't you considered the thought that—forgive me—maybe you are not meant to be with him forever? Forever is a long time, I haven't even gotten there and I am, well _ancient_, and you, what assurance do you have that what love you share now is the same love you will share in a long time?"

"It's just what you said isn't it?" she said, her tone rising "trust? Didn't you just say it's all about trust?"

"But this is different!" he argued "I see you being like this, like you are the surest person in the world! But in reality, you are blind. You cannot rely on your brains on this one, because this is not an experiment, this is real life, _your_ life. The only thing you can rely on is time, but even that is indefinite, And trust for these kinds of things are always broken. I know. Because I have lived to tell the tale"

"Will you quit being so negative?" she said, straightening her back and facing him angrily "So what if we're teenagers? Does that always imply that things never work out because we're what? _Immature?_ _Aren't wise_? If we aren't wise we would have died a long time ago! Living in Morganville made us grow fast, Myrnin. We aren't immature like you think. We have survived. And Shane and I _will _survive this. I am sure. I trust him."

He shrugged "If you say so" But he averted his eyes from hers to hide his disdain. He hated the boy with every fibre in him. "Now, I think that you need your rest. You have had too much alcohol I think. And Amelie would be gravely furious if she finds out. I am, after all, responsible for your safety here..."

He offers her his hand. When she accepted, he pulled her up, and held her gently with both arms. "Do you think you can walk?"

"Yes"

He let her go. She took one step, and nearly fell on her feet.

Myrnin immediately scooped her shoulders into an embrace to keep her from falling.

"I don't think so" he said, chuckling

She clung unto him tightly, like a life-preserver. His one arm was around her, the other was holding the wrist of her other hand, with that position, he half-carried, half-guided her into her room with very little effort. "Here we are. Now, invite me in so that I could tuck you in"

But what he got as a reply was only a snore.

"Claire?"

He checked her face. Indeed, her eyes are tightly shut, her face serene.

Not wanting to wake her up, he sighed and scooped her up bridal style, into his room instead. When he tucked her in bed, he decided to give a cold compress to her head to help eliminate a strong hangover the next day, all the while regretting his decision of letting her drink. When he was done, he stood up and gave her one last unreadable look, before walking out of his room and settling himself into a sleeping position on the couch.

He thought about what Claire had said, about her relationship with that boy Collins. And it gave him the most peculiar sensation on his stomach. Like tiny pinpricks trying to hurt him in every part of his body as possible. Unknowingly, his forehead crumpled in frustration. Claire was like Ada. And maybe this was just him coddling Claire, but he has come to the conclusion that maybe Amelie was correct. That somehow, how he looked at the girl was different from how he looked at her from day 1. That maybe, Claire was very special to him more than he'll ever admit to anyone, even to Amelie.

And that hearing her saying those things about Collins—_in front of him, no less_— made him feel as if he had sipped a very bitter-tasting blood.

He closed his eyes, still troubled.

ooo

Claire woke up the next day with the biggest headache. At first, she had let out a stream of profanities, while she got off her bed, her eyes half-closed. Why was the light so bright, anyway? It made her headache worse. That's when she noticed it. The floor's carpet was a dark red colour. Her room had a blue carpet. When she looked up, she realized that this bed was a four-poster, and a grand piano was in the room.

This was Myrnin's room.

Her heart tightened in panic. What the hell did he do to her? Why was she in his room? When she tried to remember anything that happened last night, her head hurt. She slumped back in bed, and immediately noticed a small parchment on his nightstand.

She unrolled it before reading, "Here's a tonic for your inevitable headache. And I know you will be surprised to find yourself in my room, but you already slept last night when I helped you to your room. And I couldn't get in without an invitation so I let you sleep on my room. Anyway, I hope you are well."

She picked up the tonic, and smelt it. Immediately, her eyesight was better. She decided to gulp it down quickly, ignoring the bitter taste. As soon as she put the glass back down, everything was so much better.

Claire got dressed, and was about to head out the door when there was a knock. When she opened, it was Myrnin with a very big grin on his face, looking astonishingly handsome.

It would be crazy to say it, but his enthusiastic face scintillated, and she'd love to blame the tonic for this but it was different, when she saw him like this. Claire found herself absorbing him in. His eyes, his cheeks, his defined jaw, suddenly it hit her, his charm, he looked divine with this face, as if he was so much younger than his actual age. His eyes weren't manic at all, just bright with happiness, and his red, red lips stretched widely across his face. "Claire"

Her heart skipped, and then picked up speed. "Myrnin?"

"Close your eyes, I have a surprise"

"But—"

"It cannot wait!" and with blinding speed, he took out an old tie and covered her eyes with it.

"Myrnin!" She exclaimed, terrified of his plan. "What are you doing to me?"

"A little trust please" His lips were against her left ear, sending chills down her spine. He then guided her to who knows where. Finally after her toe being stubbed for what felt like a million times, and Myrnin saying insincere apologies, they stopped. And he took off her blindfold.

"3...2...1...open"

She opened her eyes, and looked at what's in front of her, her eyes fell, then widened when she saw hundreds of pills stored in a sterilized container, all solidified and ready to be taken in. She also noticed a small bottle that said 'SUNBLOCK'. Trust, he'd said to her last night, before she got drunk. She remembered that. And it happened, she trusted him, and the cure was ready.

Immediately, she squealed loudly, jumped, and turned to face Myrnin who was grinning at her with that wining grin, making him look like a god.

She didn't think twice, she ran and hugged him so hard that her arms poked at his bones. "I love you, I love you, I love you! Myrnin, we are geniuses!" He hugged her back tenderly, patting her back, then her hair.

"Hey" he broke away and held her at arm's length. "Saying 'I love you' to me three times in a row will give me ideas. Can you tone it down, please?" he looked away and cleared his throat, his cheeks very pink.

She giggled, not thinking very properly. This was her moment of total euphoria. She never thought she'd be very happy in her entire life. This, seems like it. And she was sharing this moment with Myrnin. She didn't care if she'd said 'I love you' to Myrnin. She was very happy, and everything was bright and sparkling. Today, nothing would go wrong. She could even kiss Myrnin if he'd sit close to her. She really would.

"Now, a few adjustments to the chemical composition and acidity level, we can produce thousands of penicillin. And the sun block of course, doesn't need any more alterations. It's ready. But to pack it in a nutshell: Claire, we have succeeded. All the gruelling experimentation paid off—"

She didn't know what got into her, maybe it was the tonic, or maybe because their experiment was a success, or maybe it was just him and his heavenly face, but her brain had totally cut off from her body, disengaged and flew away, because what she did was: She walked towards him again, grabbed his head, felt his soft curly hair against his temples, before kissing him on his cheek.

When she let him go, she was panting so hard, her face was very hot, and her heart was in danger of escaping her body.

"Claire?" he said, tremendously surprised "Did you just kiss me?"

That's when a bit of her senses came back, and she felt the regret."I'm so sorry, Myrnin! I—"

He took her hand and grabbed her towards him. When they were chest to chest, he placed both his hands to the sides of her head, and leaned his head closer to her, all the while eyeing her lips. He was very beautiful up close. She could count the flecks in his brown eyes, and a few microscopic-like freckles on his nose. Myrnin whispered her name, one hand travelling down her back. And she held on to him as well, her hands at the nape of his neck.

She was very sure Myrnin was going to kiss her. And she has no idea how, or when it hit her, but she realized that she wanted him to kiss her. They were ready. Her eyes closed and waited for the inevitable, all the while her heart hammered so loudly that she knew Myrnin heard it.

"Get your hands away from her, you dirty old man!"

They both looked up, and saw that it was Michael Glass speaking.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so sorry it took me this long to update! But how did you like this Chapter? Did you like the cliff-hanger? hee. Review and tell me all about it. I missed you guys!


	8. Chapter 8

The Way We Talk

Chapter 8

She watched as Michael stood there like he'd been punched in the gut.

To say that she'd been startled beyond her wits would be an understatement. This is because she wasn't only alarmed, but she'd also felt as if she'd died right then and there on the dirty laboratory floor with her soul spinning around the room in frenzy, hoping to escape this scene. But she found out that she hadn't died, really. She was just feeling very warm that she could feel the heat of her own body radiating from her very pores. This was because of the embarrassment, of course.

Myrnin still had his hands at the small part of her back, and their bodies as well, were too close and intimate to be called nothing. But he did not budge, and did not flinch at all when Michael hollered at the both of them for being in such a compromising position. In fact, Myrnin only turned a small angle of his head towards Michael, and stared.

"Ah, Michael Glass" he said, his lips forming a slow smile.

She wanted to let go of him, really. But she couldn't, because his grasp on her was too strong and she didn't have a prayer against him. So she had no choice but try to calm her heart instead, which she was sure everyone (Myrnin and Michael) can hear better.

"Claire?" Michael ignored him, and looked at her instead. His face was a mixture of anger and puzzlement. "What the hell?"

"Michael, please let me explain" she said in one, wheezy breath. "This isn't what you think it is―"

Myrnin, who finally understood what she's feeling, sighed beside her, and then finally let her body go.

Immediately, she jumped away from him and placed a very large amount of space between them, hoping to rebuke the situation, even if it was helpless as it is. She saw the look Myrnin shot her, desperation and longing, but it was immediately replaced with an expressionless face.

"The girl is right, Michael" he said, voice of forced calm "Nothing of it is what it would seem"

Michael looked at him, then Claire, then back at him, trying to find and leak out any amount of lie from their faces. His eyes finally narrowed on Myrnin, his jaw taut and rigid. "Bullshit. I saw how you looked at her!" he exclaimed, pointing at Claire "I _saw_ how you touched her, you son of a—"

"No" Myrnin said impatiently "Your assumptions are very wrong. There is no special way with how I look, or touch the girl. And if you have any proof at all, one that is plausible in the eyes of the founder, then I challenge you to bring and show it to her."

Michael barred his fangs at Myrnin, and the sound made Claire flinch from where she was standing.

She thought that Michael was going to pounce and attack him, but she watched with amazement as Myrnin looked at him calmly still, that it discouraged Michael from any form of attack.

"I do not want to risk anything breaking inside my laboratory by an attack I do not deserve. Now, if you are willing to listen, then I will explain as calmly as I am now. But if you won't stop any violent tendencies, then I will be forced to try and break your neck"

"Myrnin, don't say that!" she said angrily

"You expect me to be calm, when I just saw you practically _groping_ my best friend's girlfriend?" Michael said with disbelief "Do you think I'm stupid? You really are crazier than I thought! A psycho, that's what you are"

"Enough!" Myrnin yelled "How dare you accuse me of something I did not do! Perhaps such small-mindedness comes from you living with humans. It's that you do not accept if there is anymore back story to the thing that you saw. You are so willing to believe what _you_ want to believe Michael. I pity the way you think"

An overpowering silence followed. Then, Michael became a blur in her very her terrified eyes.

There was a sudden roar of anger, and she screamed when she saw that Michael jammed Myrnin into a laboratory table, the test tubes and beakers falling on the floor simultaneously, while the noise became deafening. They moved in blurs, but she could hear the impact of skin hitting on skin.

"STOP, STOP!" she screamed

Myrnin kicked him, and Michael was thrown with a smash into a brick wall, cracking and breaking it.

"Claire's eyes had turned grey" said Myrnin who was dusting himself off, picking that time to speak when Michael was too weak to stand up so he had no choice but to listen. "I had given her a tonic for her headache, and part of the side effects of the tonic is generally for the endocrine system to be heightened. I mean the hormones of course. LH, FSH, estrogens and progesterone to name a few..."

"I don't believe you" Michael sputtered, standing up. "Claire, you don't really believe this bullshit, do you?"

"You don't believe me? Or you just didn't understand what I said?" taunted Myrnin, whose smile disappeared when Claire fixed him a glare.

"Claire, Come on." said Michael "Use that brain. You don't believe this _asshole_, do you?"

She realized that if she said _no_ to Michael, everything would be alright between them. But it would also mean that she would to lie, because Myrnin was really speaking the truth. The way she'd acted beforehand made her feel wild, out of control and irrational. When she'd kissed Myrnin on the cheek, there was no valid reason or thought in her mind to explain what she'd done. It was just that, she felt like doing it.

Thank you not, hormones.

"Michael" she said to him softly "Myrnin's right—" Michael scowled at her for saying that "Myrnin only helped me relieve a headache. The side effects will fade away soon"

"He tried to feel you up!" Michael said, making his way towards her and grabbing her arm, shaking her "Why can't you see that he's trying to seduce you?"

"Michael—OW!"

"STOP" said Myrnin, and he was there immediately, hands on Michael's neck. "Let her go, or I won't let _you _go."

Michael finally let Claire go, muttering "sorry" with a guilty expression. Myrnin released him. "I'm sorry Claire, really. It's just that, things are a bit crazy right now. I can't talk to Eve, and Shane. I got freaking kicked out of the Glass House by the founder, and I have no idea why I am commanded to stay here with you both until further notice." He ran his hand through his hair and looked at her again, "Seriously, sorry. I'd never want to hurt you"

She nodded while her eyes were on the verge of tears. And she understood why he was being edgier than normal. It was because of the heat of the sun. That damn sun. If he wasn't going to get any treatment soon, he might just lose it.

"Just to be clear," Myrnin said, who looked pathetically out of place beside Michael, dressed in a blue plaid shirt, while Myrnin had on a dirty polo that was ripped at the seams. "The only reason why I pulled Claire very close to me is to check on her eyes, which had turned grey. It is a part of the side-effects, and I had overlooked that. So it puzzled me. That is all"

Michael fixed him a hard look, still contemplating if he ought to accept that statement or if he should start punching Myrnin again, but it looks like the good side won out because he nodded at Myrnin curtly, before pulling Claire into a hug that expressed more of how sorry he was.

When they broke away, Michael fished out a thick, cream-colored envelope from his pocket and handed it to Myrnin. "Amelie wanted you to have this, by the way."

She looked at Myrnin's face as he tore into the letter and read it. His eyebrows appeared to meet closer and closer together the farther he read, and his lips pursed into a disapproving scowl.

"Certainly _not_" she heard him mutter, he then looked at her with a face full of concern.

"Claire" he said, grabbing her arm "Come. We need to see the founder"

She looked back at Michael who was just as aghast as her. "But—"

"_Immediately"_ his tone was not to be argued with

So she allowed herself to be pulled with him in the portal. He stood back to let her pass first, but before he followed behind her, he turned to look at Michael again, who was just standing there in the middle of the laboratory with a conflicted expression on his face.

"When Claire and I return" said Myrnin civilly "I expect this room to be free of broken glass and debris"

"Fuck you, man" said Michael

"No thank you" said Myrnin politely with a bow—Michael's face twitched with annoyance—before following after Claire.

oOo

When he arrived, Claire was waiting for him in the other end. She had her arms crossed, and he didn't need her to open her mouth to tell him she wanted to know the reason why they were here, it was written all over her face. That was why he continued to hold her wrist and walked with her to the founder's door, while telling her "Just keep quiet while I try to fix things. All I need is a little moral support. And if ever I lose control in front of her, you'd..." he smiled "be there to stop me"

She was still feeling like a bunch of her nerves were frayed, but nevertheless, she nodded at him and kept her silence when he pushed the door open.

And at once, Myrnin let go of her wrist, his cold fingers making her shiver internally. "Amelie, we need to talk"

"About what, dear friend?"

And Claire saw, that the founder was standing on the far right of her office, holding a book between her hands. Amelie snapped it shut, placed it back on her bookshelf, before clasping her hands behind her, striding back to her throne-like chair in the middle of the room.

She looked especially pale today. She had on a white suit pant, and a white blouse that seemed to billow every time she moved. Her hair was up like a crown above her head, carefully and intricately twisted.

"About this!" and Myrnin raised the letter indignantly "Did you expect Michael Glass to go along with this?"

"Woah, woah, woah" Claire said, alarmed "hold up. What about Michael? What's going on here?"

"What upsets you about it, Myrnin?" Amelie said, ignoring her "Surely, I'd thought you would be pleased with this. But I thought wrong. What seems to be the matter with this arrangement?"

"Nothing really, except that you plan on making him my personal lab rat rather than an equal. We do not hurt our fellowmen, Amelie. Those who are loyal to you, anyway. And that boy had been nothing but loyal to you, have you forgotten? Sam Glass' grandson! Good Lord!"

Amelie looked as if she was considering what Myrnin had said, but it was only for a short moment, before her face hardened again "There is nothing I can do about it, Myrnin. Michael is the only vampire suitable to be experimented on. And I recognize as well, that it is he who needs the medication the most, as of now. If something bad would happen, I will immediately find a replacement."

"Are you _insane?!_" Claire, who finally got on the part of the conversation, shrieked "What if he dies? Isn't anyone else here concerned that he might not survive? And you people talk about him like he's just a piece of pawn on a chessboard!"

Nobody replied to that. Myrnin gave her a look that told her to keep quiet, because he needed her to understand. And she did understand what he's trying to convey to her. He's saying that everyone, including her, was just a piece of pawn. And they were playing everybody.

"No!" she said again, fixing her gaze on Amelie's cold ones. "How could you? With all due respect founder, why? Why do we need him to be the one experimented on? He doesn't deserve it! Michael's a good guy! He's my family!"

"I agree" Myrnin said, and Claire snapped her head to look at him with a face full of surprise and awe "Also, I wouldn't want anyone hunting us down whenever Claire and I fail. Michael is greatly loved by humans and vampires alike"

"Thank you, Myrnin" she whispered. And he gave her one of his manic smiles.

Amelie stood up with a sharp click of her heels, and looked at them both with displeasure. "Very well. If you feel so strongly about this, then I will suggest a lighter task. Then, no more. I will hear no more from this topic the next time we see each other."

Claire and Myrnin exchanged looks, and she tried to channel out all the things she would have wanted more to say, but he also channelled through her that she needed to accept and just compromise.

"We accept, Amelie" he said for the both of them

"I want you to put a few of the pills you have invented, into Michael's pack of blood. You will give it to him during his time of feeding, making sure that he will not suspect of anything. After one week of this task, when his body is intoxicated with the drug, I will ask you to deliver a package to a friend outside of Morganville. You will go to sunny Florida. After accomplishing this task, you must think of a way to lure Michael out into the sun with very little clothing. If you find nothing wrong, or if he seems to be getting better, then you will deem your experiment successful"

"But what is the point of this experiment?" Claire asked

Amelie raised an eyebrow at her "I thought you already know the answer to this, Claire. Things needed to be experimented on before deeming them successful. Before I introduce this solution to the town, I am yet to know if what the both of you created is really the cure for this illness"

"And just a moment, Amelie" Myrnin said "Why Florida?"

"Because the sun is the warmest and strongest in that state" she said "We have to prepare for the worst."

After a few moment of silence, Amelie spoke again, "You can leave now. I do not want you to give me another surprise visit again. Because if you do, I will make sure that you will be unwelcome. Have I made my orders clear?"

oOo

"Claire, I know what you are feeling" Myrnin gripped her arm, shaking her slightly "Listen to me, girl"

They were walking in the hallway, away from Amelie's office and towards the portal. It was so silent, with no signs of life aside from them both.

"Oh you know, don't you?" she said angrily, writhing and prying off his fingers away from her "Then why didn't you do anything to stop it? Why did you allow Michael to be some, _as you said it,_ kind of lab rat?"

"What do _you_ think I can do about it, Claire? I do not have any power to rebuff her commands! Have you forgotten who she is? Have you forgotten that she made Morganville with her blood and bones and any kind of restraint will only result in punishment—?"

"You could have suggested someone else! Don't you know how painful it is to see your family being treated like this? Apparently you don't because you just happen to be such a _loner._ You practically thrive in loneliness and solitude who would love it if puppies get kicked or something. Which says a lot about your character, Myrnin. Look, I don't expect you to feel like a human being, because you're not. I just want you to act sensibly. You've known Amelie for a long time, and I know you're friends. I just don't understand why him! Him of all—mmmff!"

Much to her surprise and displeasure Myrnin suddenly clasped a hand to her mouth. His face zoomed in on her, and she saw his brown eyes turning into a dull red colour. For a moment, she had forgotten that his hand were on her lips when he spoke lowly, "Claire, fighting over this will bring us absolutely nothing. Amelie has decided and we cannot undo it, no matter how we try. The only thing we will do now is do our best, do you understand?"

She was so captivated by him, and scared at the same time. She tried to ignore the way his grip on her face made her lips tingle. When she realized that Myrnin was waiting for an answer, she gave a sharp nod of the head, and he let her go with a guarded expression.

She followed him with defeat into the portal.

oOo

Arriving back in the laboratory was strange. Because as soon as Claire's foot landed back on the lab floor, she immediately noticed the absence of the once chaotic scene that she'd left behind. What it was now was that, the tables were well arranged, and there were no signs of violent attacks that happened. The broken apparatuses were nowhere to be found, the bottles were sealed and stocked neatly into piles of containers, and even the brick wall that had cracked was covered with a lean shelf, concealing it behind.

"Not too shabby" Myrnin remarked, looking around, with a smug look on his face.

"Did Michael do this?" she asked him, giving him one disapproving stare "You know he's a guest, right? He's not supposed to do work because he doesn't work for you?"

Myrnin gave her an innocent look. Too innocent maybe, that she narrowed her eyes at him and inspected every nook and cranny of the room, which was extremely clean.

"Did you force him to do this?"

She fumed all the more when she saw that he wasn't looking at her at all. "Oh, look! Bob's alive and kicking!" He left her there, looking at him angrily while he skipped to his pet spider and cooed at it.

So the clear answer to her unanswered question was: yes, he did force it on Michael to clean the lab.

Him and his evasive games, really.

Fuming, she walked back to her room, and shut the door loudly behind her.

oOo

She still had a bit more of tabulating to do that afternoon. However, she didn't feel like joining Myrnin outside since she still felt miffed as to how he treated Michael. Besides, she was still feeling just a bit under the weather, from the hangover, and the side-effects that the tonic did to her hormones.

She shook off the sensation of kissing Myrnin's cheek.

However, she realized that her vampire boss didn't want her to stay cooped up the whole afternoon in her room, because he rapped on her door and asked her if she could open it for him.

When she did, he was standing there on the doorway, giving her a tiny wave of recognition. He was dressed differently now. More subdue. His hair was still in a wild disarray, but his clothes at least were not torn at the seams. And his bunny slippers were back. She can't help but smile at the sight of them. It's just that, it was so hard to take him seriously when he wore that footwear.

"So I was checking the attendance outside," he said to her "And apparently, when I reached your name and read it out loud, you weren't present"

She snorted "That must be some short attendance list, huh?"

"The shortest" he agreed. "Anyway, I did come here to escort you out of your charming _boudoir _and join me outside as we tackle on countless adventures together with science"

She folded her arms and gave him a pointed look. She was hoping to convey the message that no, she wasn't in the mood to _tackle countless adventures together with science_ and that she still felt troubled at the thought of them experimenting on Michael.

"Claire," he said, with all seriousness now "I'm really sorry...that we have to have disagreements like this."

She knew he was sincere, even if his manic eyes tells her otherwise. So she nodded and forgave him.

He actually held out his hand to her, hoping she'd take it. But she didn't, at first. She just looked at it as if it would dance any minute for her, then she fixed him a look of suspicion. "Where's Michael?"

"Here, of course. Waiting for you to come out"

She had a feeling that he only said that to convince her even more of getting out. But a small part of her wanted to talk to Michael, too. So without anymore hesitation, she took his hand, and he clasped it firmly in his.

"Claire," his voice was suddenly serious "before we go out, I want to let you know that I will give you a task that you need to accomplish. Once I leave the both of you, you will act on it immediately, do you understand?"

She looked at him in puzzlement "Um, no"

His eyes gleamed against the flicker of light above them "You will" and without anymore word of assurance, he bowed politely and muttered, "After you, m'lady"

"You are so weird" she said, shaking her head.

"I will take that as a compliment" he replied, before whisking her off to the living room where Michael was seated.

She saw his look harden when he realized Myrnin was 'escorting' her towards him. But if he had felt any sort of annoyance at all, he did not show it further because he smiled when they approached and greeted her with a small, "hey, Claire"

"Hey, Mike" that's when she felt it. The reason why Myrnin was holding her hand was because he was trying to give her a folded paper. Although she was confused by this secret transaction, she heeded him and allowed the paper to slide on her palms, before she balled it into a fist.

Myrnin gave her a discreet wink, before letting her hand go and tucking it in his dark trousers. "This must be such a touching reunion" he said to the both of them, his face not really that touched "Anyway I'll leave you to it. I do have some errands to run."

And he was gone in a blur, leaving them both sitting there on the couch.

Claire got it immediately, what Myrnin had said. Whatever this task was, she knew Myrnin expected her to do it no sooner after he came back. Suddenly, the paper on her fist felt heavier. As if it was gauging her on.

Can she really do this to Michael? She took a deep breath, for strength.

"Mike," she started, "You didn't have to do all this for Myrnin" and she gestured at the clean room. "Seriously"

He gave her a serene smile that made him look like an angel, the more she stared. "I wasn't doing it for Myrnin. I was doing it for _you_. I wanted to make it up to you. I cleaned his crappy place so that you wouldn't have to"

He was just so sweet. No wonder Eve always babbled about how Michael was a catch, even if she was a bit fed up from listening. But it turned out that her friend was right, he was worth babbling a hundred million times over. It really is disheartening that Amelie commanded them to experiment on him. And with just that simple thought, she can feel her chest weigh heavier. Just like her conscience.

"Aw, thanks. You didn't have to though, but thank you. I appreciate it" her voice got caught in her throat

"Claire...can I ask you something?" His voice was dead serious, it scared her

She couldn't do it anymore. Without thinking, she stood up and straightened her wrinkled shirt. "Um, I'm hungry. I'm gonna go and grab something in the fridge first. Do you want something?"

If Michael sensed her tension, and heard the fast beating of her heart, he pretended not to care and shook his head no. "I'm not that hungry"

She headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge with shaky fingers. She felt the cool blast of wind, before she bent down and smooth out the crumpled paper in her hand. _Get two pills, dissolve it in AB blood, and let Michael drink..._the note said, in Myrnin's ancient handwriting.

"What's up with you and Myrnin, Claire?" she jumped at the sound of Michael's voice. He was still in the living room and hadn't seen her, but he asked her anyway.

She spotted two pills poised in the kitchen table, and contemplated if she really was going to do this to her friend. Where was her courage and bravery when she needed it? Somehow, she feels as if she'd rather tackle and fight countless vampires than betray the only vampire she can call family. She will never forgive herself if this ends up in a fiasco. She bit her lip to relieve the tension she was feeling, before grabbing the pills.

"What do you mean, what's up with us?" she said. She was feeling a little heady. "There's nothing going on, Michael"

There was a short pause, before he replied with, "I don't know. I can't describe it fully. But something's up. He's weird around you"

"Isn't he just?" she pretended to snort, as she opened the freezer and grabbed one pack of blood "He's weird around everybody, Michael. I'm no different"

"Well, he is" Michael said, his voice solemn "He isn't making moves at you, is he?"

"What?" she exclaimed, and her hands faltered when she tried to open the blood pack. "No! Of course not! That is just really..._wrong_"

"I thought so too. But it's just intuition, you know. Vampires have that too. And I can tell, sort of, how other vampires react or feel. You'll tell me though, if he's trying to woo you, right? Shane and I won't be taking it lightly. Especially Shane"

"Of course" she said, twirling the pills in her hand and contemplating if she should break it in smaller pieces for a larger surface area or let it be the way it is. Myrnin didn't really mention to her if the pills would easily dissolve in blood or not. "Myrnin's just a friend to me, Michael. There's nothing to worry about."

"It's not you I'm worried about. It's him. He's really lonely. I can tell"

"Hmm..." she made no more sensible reply to that. Partly because she didn't know what to say to that statement and mostly because she was observing the reaction as she plunged one pill into the blood. And she watched with amazement as the pill fizzed very quickly, its particles disintegrating into smaller parts before dissolving altogether. So the blood still, remained homogeneous to the naked eye. She tried her luck again and asked, "Mike, are you sure you're not hungry?"

"Fine, I could use a bit of energy" she heard him call out.

_Bingo_

"Okay!" with a small smile, she submerged the other pill. She transferred the blood into a bottle very carefully and shook it for extra measure. She then fixed herself a sandwich, then returned to the living room, handing him the tampered blood.

"Thanks, Claire" and without hesitation, he took a big gulp of the AB blood, and she watched nervously if whether or not Michael would notice a change of flavour or consistency to the blood. He didn't. He continued to chug it down without complaint whatsoever.

Her shoulders relaxed at the thought of not being caught.

She'd done it. She really experimented on him. Her heart sank heavily in her chest.

He smiled at her sheepishly, and she pretended to shrug with nonchalance, before biting into her sandwich.

It tasted like sandpaper.

oOo

"Myrnin, is that what you're wearing?!"

A week had passed. And tomorrow, they were leaving for Florida. Very sunny Florida. The days that had passed were mercilessly subdued. Michael—who had a regular intake of the pill without knowing— found a way to talk to Eve, with the help of Claire's cell and spent most of his time with Eve, and even Shane.

Claire didn't have much time to chat, because Myrnin immersed her with more scientific work. She had to tabulate the physical and chemical properties of the pills, and note down any differences the longer it existed. So far, there was no difference. But they were still so busy perfecting the chemical attributes of their creation, and tweaking it for a smaller, easier to consume shape without losing its properties.

Today, they were packing up. Michael was in his room, talking to Eve again. But his bags and guitar were perched outside his door. She was done packing her bags as well, and now had nothing to do but to feed Bob a couple of dead flies, a task that she was desperately trying to delay, until she had no more choice.

That was the moment, just as Bob took one fly and gobbled it in its hairy mouth, when she noticed her vampire boss emerging from his door and looking like the creepiest guy ever.

He had on a long black coat that reached his ankles, black gloves, and a shiny top hat. The whole black ensemble made his skin look so eerily pale. She looked down his feet. He had on his bunny slippers with the fangs out.

So when she asked him, "Myrnin, is that what you're wearing?!" he did a little pirouette for her then a pose.

"Ta-da!" he sing-songs, "Will this do?"

She put down the container with the dead flies, and made a show of covering her eyes from him. "It's horrible!"

"What—? How dare you, I spent a whole day putting this together!" he looked dejectedly at his outfit, and back to her. "I don't see anything _horrible_ about this"

"But it is!" she insisted, grimacing "You look like someone who's trying too hard to look like Lincoln, and failing miserably. And anyway, do you want to freak anyone out as soon as they see you out there?"

"I don't understand, Claire" he frowned. He padded towards a full-length mirror near the wall, his bunny slippers' mouth opening and closing, and inspected himself again. "Why would anyone be appalled at the sight of me?"

"Look" she sighed, "Trust me. You do not want to get caught looking like this. You'll attract attention!"

"Really?" that interested him enough "I was always under the impression that people always noticed me through my eccentricities. I wouldn't want that to be gone"

"But, hello! We're going to Florida?" she said, tugging at his coat. "Warm weather, people wearing thin clothes? Imagine yourself walking in there looking like this. How do you think will they react?"

"Well of course I will expect them to be awed at the sheer beauty I bring with me in their place. I'm so rare to find, you know"

"You are so egotistical!" she fumed "And no, they won't think that, because they will look at you with shock on their faces, and they'll wonder why a lunatic landed on their state. And they'll go running away from you as fast as they can, hiding their babies away"

He gave her a look, "You exaggerate"

"I'm trying to help you!" she said "Come on, this really won't do"

"But I like it!"

"Myrnin" she looked at him sternly, "I'm sorry, okay? I know you dress weird, but you can't afford to bring your _culture_ over there."

"Well, what do you expect me to do about this?" He took off his shiny top hat, and his hair came down in waves, looking so soft. "I thought this piece of fashion is very in?"

Claire was so tempted to do a face palm, but out of the remaining respect she had for him, she stopped herself. "No" she said through gritted teeth "That is _not_ in."

"Oh?"

Maybe it was the look of helplessness that he gave her, that made her finally shake her head at him with pity. She took his arm and guided him gently to his room. "Come on, I'll help you pick your wardrobe"

She heard a sound deep from his throat that expressed his displeasure—that he felt insulted at her suggestion. "Do we really have to, Claire?"

"Yes, because you do not want people giving you attention in a foreign place. And besides," she said, a small smile coloring her lips, "You look horrible in that, like really horrible. Unfortunately, black is not Florida's idea of color."

"You really are a fan of exaggeration, aren't you?" he said, "I do look quite charming if I say so myself"

"Yeah right. Come on, Mr. Charmer"

She rolled her eyes at him, and pinched his arm, to which he pretended to be hurt from, but he followed her to his room, anyway.

oOo

**A/N:** I am so sorry for updating so late! To make you guys forgive me, I cooked you a couple of Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, all with Myrnin on top. Forgive me? O:)

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!


	9. Chapter 9

The Way We Talk: Chapter 9

oOo

"Hey, Claire!"

She cursed internally.

"Uhf—What is it, Mike?"

She couldn't breathe from the heavy weight.

Slowly but carefully, she perched the big box unto the laboratory table, being careful not to jostle the glasses inside. She then savored the feeling of relief from the cramping sensation in her arms going away. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and glared at the stupid box that was half as tall as she was. Is Myrnin trying to kill her? He didn't have to bring that much laboratory apparatuses, really. She knew he was just being paranoid. But then again, when wasn't he ever paranoid or crazy?

"Check this out! Amelie got us a sweet ride" His voice echoed down below to her

Michael was outside of the laboratory, loading their bags into a trunk. Amelie informed them earlier that she'd sent a car for them to use for the long drive. No airplane, she told them. She didn't want the vampires to look conspicuous. Although Myrnin insisted that they take a portal, Amelie thought it best to leave via human means, in order not to make anything suspicious to human bystanders.

"That's nice" she called back, not really knowing what _sweet ride_ meant.

"So are you coming up, or what?"

Her face soured at the thought of carrying the box up the stairs. However, she accepted the fact that the box wasn't going to sit there forever and wait for her, because she did a few arm exercises and stretches, before putting the box back into her arms and walking carefully up the stairs.

Step one, step two, the wooden staircase was a little creaky. It made all sorts of pitch-y sounds that made her feel a bit insulted. She'd tried to fix the stairs a lot of times, but it looked like her efforts weren't paying off that much. It was as faulty as the first time she climbed on it.

"OOF!" she'd tripped on a loose nail on the way up, and lost a bit of her balance, making her do a weird little wobble.

But then, strong arms stopped her from falling, and at the same time, retrieved the heavy box from her hands.

"Careful there" said Myrnin

And she looked at him, and did a double take.

Maybe even a triple take. And this one lasted for approximately half a minute as she allowed her eyes to inspect every piece of clothing he attached to his body. She grinned and nodded approvingly at him "Good job on the outfit, boss"

He rolled his eyes at her and raced her past the stairs with the stupid box in only one hand "I still liked the black coat better though"

She laughed, and followed him at her human pace, feeling proud that he wore the clothes she packed for him. He looked like their age when he dressed like that— grey sweater with the hood down, and faded pants that seem to roll forever because of his long legs.

Yep, definitely college material.

When she took the last step up, she already observed that Myrnin and Michael stood frozen right in front of the vehicle that Michael called a 'sweet ride'. Although she was slightly clueless about the basics of car lingo, she realized that 'sweet' ride was one way to put it nicely, because it wasn't just a vehicle at all. It was a big, shiny black SUV that had wheels so big, it reached the height of her waist.

"How on earth did she think we can drive in this _thing_? We'll be roasted in no time!" As always, Myrnin—the worrier and master of paranoia— ruined the moment of her ogling at the car.

But he was right. She hated that he was right.

And the three of them stood there with troubled faces, because the car was an SUV, yes, the largest and grandest car Claire's ever seen in town, but the windows were not dark tinted at all. In fact, the car's inside was very visible from the outside.

"Sweet, it's a hummer" Michael said to them with a smile, "Too bad Myrnin's right. We'd totally be vamp-barbecue in like, five seconds"

"Well, maybe it's not what it seems" Claire suggest half-heartedly. She clicked the control, and the car made a beeping sound that signalled it open. She opened the door and inspected the inside. The overwhelming 'new car' smell greeted her immediately. She tried pressing a couple of buttons, then finally, she saw a button that looked suspiciously for tinted windows, and pressed it.

They watched in awe as the dark tinted windows emerged, concealed under the transparent ones.

"This is fancy..." she heard herself say as she stifled the urge to whistle. She turned to face both vampires and gave a small smile "Problem solved, see? Let's go. It's a long drive"

"I'll drive" Michael volunteered.

"I call SHOTGUN!" Claire said immediately, but was a few breathes too late because Myrnin beat her up to it.

"No, you don't" said Myrnin "I will. You stay in the back"

She made a face "Nice try. But it's not happening"

He looked at her with exasperation "Look Claire, I had enough torture from you. I'd let you pick my wardrobe even if every piece of clothing you let me bring is horrendous, I let you dress me, boss me around and give me rude comments, while you sadistically enjoy every moment of it. Now, don't you think I earn the shotgun throne for the duration of this drive?"

She was about to protest at this piece of reasoning when Michael intervened, "You both keep quiet and stay in the back. The only thing sitting shotgun is the package we will deliver."

"But—"

"Let's get going. It's a long drive" and Michael left them to themselves while he loudly slammed the driver's door close.

"Damn" she mumbled, then glared at Myrnin "This is all your fault"

He only shrugged at her, before opening the car door. "After you, your royal highness of pain" and made a bow that would put a doorman to shame. Her lips twitched in annoyance but did not say anymore as she climbed at the back of the car. He followed after her and closed the door.

Then Michael started the ignition, and they rolled off the gravelly road of Morganville and out into the open unknown.

oOo

There was something weird bubbling at the pit of her stomach as the sign saying, 'WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY IN MORGANVILLE, PLEASE COME BACK AGAIN!' loomed closer and closer to them. It wasn't just the thought of seeing the fake, cheerful sign booming at her, or the truth that she knew nobody has really crossed the barrier of Morganville and stayed alive, but it also had something to do about the fact that she was going to leave her life here—Shane, Eve, school—and live(At least for a few days) a new one someplace else void of terror, falseness, and vampires.

And as the car accelerated closer and closer to the border of Morganville, she could feel a small lump in her throat. She was leaving her friends behind. She was leaving Shane, and he didn't even know she was going away. It was a peculiar sensation. That was all. Just the way her stomach felt like a giant concave that needed to be filled with assurance and comfort that everything was going to be all right.

That whatever she and Myrnin were attempting to do, they weren't going to kill Michael.

She almost jumped from her seat when she felt Myrnin poke her. She glared at him, annoyed at being disturbed "What?"

He removed his Ray Ban glasses from his eyes and looked at her seriously. "I can hear your raging heartbeat" he said to her "Is everything alright?"

She shrugged

"Remember Claire: No time to feel. We have things to accomplish" and he put back on his sunglasses that made him look weirdly like a phony guy from a men's magazine cover page, and turned his back to her.

She balled her hands to fists. God, she really hated it when Myrnin was right. There was no time to feel so sentimental about everything. They had lots to do, and leaving Morganville was just the first part of it. It was almost funny, when she really thought about it.

If leaving was only the first part, then why was it very hard? Did it mean the rest of the other parts were much harder and dangerous?

As Michael drove away from the COME BACK AGAIN sign, and finally past the barrier of Morganville, she had her eyes were closed all the way.

oOo

"I still don't understand why I have to come along" Michael said to them, when they were driving out in the rocky open road. It had been approximately three hours since they left Morganville, and no one had spoken since. Michael was busy driving, Claire was busy thinking about Shane, and Myrnin was reading a map.

"Amelie wants you to stay with us in the laboratory. That automatically means you also go and do whatever exploits Claire and I are pursuing" replied Myrnin, his head still buried in the map of Florida. "Isn't that right, Claire?"

"Yeah, I guess" she said, looking away from the car window and into the rear view mirror where Michael's eyes met hers "Sorry about that Mike. And I'm sorry too that you'll have to put up with Myrnin like this"

There was a sound of paper crumpling, and Myrnin's head immerged from his map "Whatever does that mean? _put up with Myrnin like this?_" his voice was filled with curiosity

"Nothing"

"Very witty, Claire" he said to her "but I'm afraid you'll have to do better if you want me to join this quipping game of yours"

She saw Michael roll his eyes, and she stifled a giggle. "Whatever, boss. Why don't you just returning to reading the map?"

"On the contrary," he handed her the map "Why don't _you?_ Since you've got nothing to do but sharpening your tongue"

"but—" she watched as he dumped the open map and guide book into her lap.

"My orders. Now, follow them" he said, sounding oddly jubilant and victorious.

"Fine" she snapped "_Whatever_" and she straightened up the crumpled map, and scowled at it. She pointedly turned her back to him with a loud swish of her body.

From the driver's seat, Michael chuckled and said "Maybe it's a good thing I tagged along. You guys might rip each other's throats out"

To which Myrnin replied with a low growl and Claire a loud, angry snort.

oOo

The drive to Florida had been long and grueling And although the three of them shared occasional banters, food (no blood for Claire), and hilarious infomercial songs—Myrnin refused to join the singing, but offered to be the judge of the singing contest between her and Michael. When Myrnin announced Michael the winner, Claire declared that Myrnin was a terrible judge and threw the crumpled map back to him with utter displeasure—but most of the time, the trip was subdued, and the only sound they can hear is the other vehicles driving past and before them.

Claire was bored a lot, since she cannot see a single thing outside due to the dark tinted windows. She tried to urge Myrnin to do some work, but he shook his head and discouraged lab work in the car in order not to make Michael suspicious.

oOo

When they finally arrived in Florida and pulled in front of the hotel that Amelie told them to stay in, it was two hours before midnight, and their tinted windows were replaced with clear ones so that Claire can see some night lights.

Even at an ungodly hour, people were swarming still, walking in and out of the building as if it was bright as day.

"Woah" she heard herself mumble, her exhaustion fading at the beautiful sight

The hotel lobby was lined with glass walls so that you can actually see the inside of the ground floor, where prestigious diamond chandeliers after prestigious diamond chandeliers hang. She also noted the stuffy crimson loungers, the giant lampshades, and fountain in the middle. The building itself was a shiny color of gold, spotless in every angle possible.

Claire tugged on her shirt collar nervously, and frowned at her jeans and sneakers. She looked under-dressed in this kind of place. It seemed like Amelie misinformed them of the dress code. Damn.

Michael too, had gone silent and was in awe at the sight before him. He slowed the car to a crawl, while his mouth opened marginally.

"Well, this is certainly fancier than I'd expected" she heard Myrnin mutter. Then to the both of them who were still looking, he continued, "Oh stop gawking like mindless idiots, the both of you. We need to check in"

oOo

When the three of them entered the building, Claire immediately noted the freezing air condition, and the smell of the atmosphere that resembled something very much like the new car smell, but better.

oOo

"Okay, this is weird" she said to them both, as they approached the reception area. She'd noticed the way people—girls, women—looked. It bemused her. She'd never seen quite like it. After a moment of contemplation, she realized that they weren't looking at the three of them because of what they were wearing.

In fact, they weren't even looking at what they were wearing or even at her at all. They were looking at Michael and Myrnin.

And at once, Claire understood.

The vampires had always been unnaturally attractive and striking. She must have gotten used to it too much because she barely noticed their appearance or their puzzling paleness anymore. So it caught her off guard when people reacted the way they had. She had forgotten that people did not see such creatures very often, even if the said creatures where wearing ordinary sweaters and sneakers.

Lucky bastards

"Quite uncomfortable" Myrnin whispered to her, his eyes determined not to meet anyone's.

"Really?" she replied sarcastically, "I thought you _loved_ attention, Myrnin? Go ahead, bask in it"

Myrnin ignored her pointedly after her statement.

"Don't mind them" said Michael who was equally uncomfortable.

They kept walking at a human pace, while the people continued to cast them long, lingering glances.

"Now imagine if you wore that stupid Abraham Lincoln clothes. Don't you think they'd drop dead?" she said to Myrnin with a smug smirk "Aren't you glad you listened to me?"

"Not quite" he said sourly "You promised I would be inconspicuous. But even if I am dressed in this drab ensemble, it made me stand out. Why is that?"

She bit her lip in contemplation, wondering if she should tell him the truth "It's something I can't control" she replied uneasily "You look...well, striking"

"I do?" and his eyes lit up, meeting hers. "Do you really think—?"

"Hush" warned Michael, as they've reached the reception area.

It was posh, well-lit with white marble as desk, and had lots of flowers as background, you'd think they robbed all the flowers from Florida and placed it here as decoration.

"Welcome!" said the receptionist, and smiled just a tad bit brighter than what was normal. She had her attention focused on both Michael and Myrnin. "Will you be checking in sirs?"

"And ma'am" Claire piped in a bit rudely. "Yes, we are checking in. _obviously_"

They receptionist inclined her head towards Claire's direction, but continued to look at the vamps. If only she knew what they really wanted to eat, Claire would bet on her life that the girl would go running away at once. Claire watched as the girl had trouble deciding where to look—or from what Claire could deduce—which one was more striking. Finally, she'd decided.

She fixed her gaze on Myrnin, and conversed with him about the whole checking in process. "So, sir" she said, almost like a purr "How many rooms will you be taking?"

"Two please" said Myrnin with a polite inclination of his head.

Both Claire and Michael looked up at him questioningly, but Myrnin waved off their gazes with a lazy hand, while his eyes told them '_explanations later'_.

The girl turned to her computer for a moment, then returned. "Alright. May I have your name then?"

"Oliver Harries" said Myrnin

"Alright, sir Oliv-_err_" she'd winked

Claire rolled her eyes at the obvious flirtation going on.

"And you sir..?" she turned to Michael

"Shane" Michael cleared his throat "um, Harries"

Myrnin did a little chortle to cover the slight mistake and said "Shane and I are brothers, actually" and he did it, he winked back at the girl. And her poor heart couldn't take it, she actually sighed at him, while her cheeks turned crimson.

"I can see the resemblance" the woman cooed.

Claire stomped on Myrnin's foot, and mouthed '_cut the crap_'

Myrnin cleared his throat, tugged nervously at his sleeves and said, "Yes. Anyway, as I said. Two rooms. One for me and for my lady..." he looked at her coolly

Claire stifled the urge to open her mouth in shock.

There was no way Myrnin was serious about that. When her eyes met his serious ones, she swallowed in panic and realized that yes, he was dead serious about them sharing a room. But was he really? She'd rather sleep on a tent in the middle of nowhere than sleep with her boss in the same room.

She shuddered, and scowled at him.

He winked at her in return, and she hated it that she felt a bit of tingling inside her in pleasure.

"And your name, ma'am?" said the slightly taken-aback woman

"Monica" Claire replied, looking away from him "No last name"

"Right. Monica" said Myrnin beside her "darling" And he took her waist gently like a gentleman that he really isn't.

The receptionist was put off. She clamped her mouth shut, and typed vigorously on the keyboard with more than what was necessary pressing. When she came back to talk to them again, her smile was tight. "One room for Oliver Harries and Monica" she said with clenched teeth "And another for Shane Harries"

"Absolutely correct" said Myrnin, smiling down at Claire

She tried to smile back at him, but only managed a grimace. From her left, Michael stiffened disapprovingly.

"And what kind of rooms will you be taking, sir?" very cold tone now

"Deluxe suites, please" answered Myrnin with an amused look on his face

"And how will you be paying?"

Michael and Claire's head snapped simultaneously to look at Myrnin. They had not enough money whatsoever to afford even a night in this place. Her worrying had stopped, however, when she saw Myrnin pull out a gold card from his pocket, and handed it to the receptionist. He seemed to have forgotten to mention it to her.

How devious.

"So that's all set then" the receptionist said "We hope you enjoy your stay here in our hotel. Sir Oliv-_err_"

oOo

After Myrnin refused the help of the baggage carrier to carry their bags up to their rooms with Myrnin mumbling 'God knows I can carry these better', the three of them entered the elevator while pushing the luggage trolley with them.

And at once, when the door closed in on them, leaving them to seclusion, Claire turned to Myrnin, gathered her breath—Myrnin, who understood what she was about to do, made a show of covering both his ears— and said "What the fuck, Myrnin?!"

She would have laughed at what he'd done. But it wasn't funny right now. "You better explain"

"Relax, please" he raised a languid hand.

He looked away from her momentarily to look up at the roof of the elevator. Then, having spotted a security camera, he took out a small device from his sweater pocket and attached it beside the camera. "faux-visual and muting device," he explained to them "helps keep prying people from seeing and hearing. Now, what were you saying Claire?"

"I was just—"

"Oh and Michael" Myrnin interrupted "please make sure the elevator doesn't open to let other people in while Claire unleashes her inner banshee. It would be a shame if they see her display, wouldn't it?"

"Don't talk about her like that" Michael reprimanded, but made his way to the buttons and followed him anyway.

Myrnin, who was busy looking at Michael with intense eyes, turned his attention back to her "Yes?"

"The room assignments?" she demanded, her palms facing up "what the fuck?"

"Oh, _that_" he smiled "No need to worry. I was merely putting off the woman. Did any of you notice her slipping me her number when she handed me the key? No? Then I've done well to pretend I'm your lover, Claire"

She sighed in relief "Wow, that made me worried sick for a second there, but the room assignments? Will you explain, please? Why only two rooms?"

"Two rooms" said Myrnin, clasping both his hands at the back "one for me and Michael. And one for you, and our dear scientific work"

"What?"

"Two vampires share the same room. And you share the room with the laboratory, did you understand that?"

She only looked at him with pursed lips and narrow eyes. "Did you expect me to set up a mini laboratory in my room?" she turned to Michael, who didn't seem to listen to them "Can you believe him, Mike?"

Before Michael can answer, Myrnin interjected, "Yes, because we will start with our work, as soon as we get off the elevator" he said, then turning to Michael, he continued "Mr. Glass, are you feeling alright?"

Michael finally looked up from his shoes, and his face was unreadable. "Fine" he mumbled, then looked away again.

Claire saw Myrnin narrow his eyes at Michael. Then she realized she was assessing him, and whatever it is he was observing, with the way his eyebrows bunched up together, he didn't like it.

"Open the door now please" said Myrnin as he quickly snatched the device he attached to the security camera, and put it back in his pocket.

Michael released the door, opening it and revealing throngs of angry people waiting.

"So sorry" Myrnin said to them, with as much charisma she never thought he had, while he took her hand in his. "The elevator didn't seem to want to open."

And the people who had moments ago felt angry, nodded in understanding as soon as they've seen Myrnin's face. There was even one woman at the back who fished out a cellular phone and took a photo.

Seriously?

Claire tried to retrieve her hand from his grasp but he held it in place.

When the throng of people all got on the elevator, and the halls were deserted once again, Myrnin tossed Michael a key and said, "Unpack immediately, do not drink blood from the blood packet for now, and rest. Do not wait for me to get back"

"but—"

"I repeat: Do not drink any blood"

And without any more second glance behind him, he led Claire to a door, fished out the key card, and pulled her in.

oOo

"Michael has an overdose" he alerted her as soon as the door closed behind them. She wasn't even able to check out the fancy room.

She was so confused by the way he is acting. One moment he was calm and relaxed at the reception area, but during the elevator ride, he was tense and jittery, and spoke too fast. And now, he was this. He was quiet and calm, but the manic was showing in every inch of his eyes. And what is it about Michael, this time?

"What?"

"I said, Michael has an overdose" He collected the box in his arms, and walked towards the bedroom. "We need to work immediately if you want to keep him alive"

"Will you please explain, what's going on?" she said, following behind him "I do not get you at all. And why are you even in my bedroom?"

"Housekeeping will come and clean the living room. The bedroom is the safest place to conduct scientific work. Now, will you help me set up the table while I explain? Quickly, we have no time"

She watched him nervously as he tugged the table cloth from the table, spilling the telephone, directories and lamp on the carpet floor in a heap. Then he opened the box by tearing it open violently, and reached for the laboratory apparatuses while he muttered with agitation: "A wooden table, of course! How inconvenient. Couldn't have gotten a metal one for safety..."

Claire wanted to tell him that hotel tables really weren't mean to be conducted experiments on, but she was too worried about Michael's overdose. "Will you explain, please?" she said, getting out a microscope "I am so worried for Michael"

Myrnin sighed heavily, and did not look at her at all "An overdose. We had invented a highly concentrated pill that one half of it would suffice. Did you not see how he is acting at all?"

"He's perfectly normal" she replied dryly "more normal than you, actually"

"No, he isn't" and he returned to pulling out things. Beakers, pipettes, a centrifuge machine, vials. He set them up with pale, blurry fingers.

"Once the pill overdoses you, it brings out a property where it kills the vital cells in the body. His blue veins were showing conspicuously at his neck, you cannot see it because you do not have the sharpest of eyes. He had trouble breathing, and I will guess that right at this moment, Michael is in the bathroom, vomiting. He is experiencing head ache, nausea, and surreal visions"

"But what does that mean?" she demanded, her heart had picked up pace yet again. While she was whispering at the back of her mind '_I'm a killer. I'm a killer. I'm killing my friend.' _

"He lacks oxygen molecules in the body. The pill had this effect, and we must create the solution that could counter the depreciation of oxygen. If we cannot make that cure, all that is left of his body will be carbon dioxide, which leads to death, immediately"

"Oh, God" her eyes were stinging, while her chest felt like the heaviest thing "Oh, God. Oh, God."

"Quiet, Claire" he scolded her softly "We still have time. Now, do not feel. It is not the time to be sentimental"

"But what can we do, now?" she said quietly. A tear had escaped from her eyes. She wiped them away quickly "Will he survive tomorrow?"

"You see, we are in a bit of situation. If he drinks more of the pill-tampered blood, he could get worse. But if we do not let him drink any pill, then he will be starved from blood. And he will be more sensitive to the sun, which means he can burn himself tomorrow morning, even under the hotel shelter"

"Oh, God"

"Then you can see that our best bet is to create the solution, not tweak them"

"Oh, God. I'm a killer" she sobbed

The sound of tension in her voice made him look up from the table. He put down an Erlenmeyer flask, and said to her seriously, "Please sit down"

When she didn't, he walked towards her and forced her to a sitting position on the side of the bed, while he knelt in front of her so that their eyes met in equal level. "Claire" he said to her in a forced calm voice "I need you, right now. Please. _Please_, do not break down like this"

What he said to her made more tears fall from her eyes. "Myrnin, what if he dies? I just can't..."

"Shush" He took her hands gently "That is why we're here. That is why we're going to do our best, and make a cure for the overdose. Frankly, our time is waning, and if we waste any more time than what's already wasted, we can lose him"

"Promise me" she said, looking deep into his eyes with the strongest intensity "that we will be successful. Promise me Mike will not die, _please_"

She saw the pained look in his eyes, before it hardened and went away. She knew he rarely made promises and that he was getting impatient and annoyed, but for whatever strange reason, he was still kneeling there in front of her, holding her hand. Having him comfort her was surreal, but it felt right. "Alright, I promise. I promise to keep your friend alive"

She hugged him.

He stiffened under her touch for a second, but afterwards, his long arms went around her "Thank you" she whispered against his ear "Thank you"

oOo

So they both did it. They got up from the bed and immediately went to work, pulling off the most grueling and painful scientific experiment that they ever had. In no time, Myrnin had chemicals bubbling, while Claire was busy on the microscope. When she looked at the clock, her insides swirled. They only had six hours left before the sun rises.

"Claire, I need you to concentrate on the pill itself. I want you to break it down again and reduce the percentage concentration"

"Right"

oOo

She can feel her eyes weigh heavier, as if someone had attached a heavy rock underneath her eyelids. And the uncontrollable urge to yawn kept on coming back at her like sea waves, getting stronger. All she had to do was not to succumb to any form of exhaustion, or she's going to regret it for the rest of her life.

Mike's life is at stake.

"Do you have coffee?" she asked him, when it was three thirty in the morning, and her eyes felt like falling out of their sockets. They were half done with their work, but she wasn't sure if what they were doing can be finished within three hours.

"No" he said, busy on the centrifuge machine "On the kitchen?"

"I don't want to leave my work. Every second is precious"

She was surprised when he tossed her a bottle filled with oblong pills. "What's this?"

"Pills to keep you awake. Take one. Much faster and brain-stimulating"

"Side effects?" she demanded

"None, I think"

"This won't make me think I'm in love with you or something?" her eyes narrowed at him.

The centrifuge machine whirled to a stop, and he opened the cover before looking at her with an amused face. "Of course not. What kind of person do you have me pinned down for?"

"I dunno...someone crazy?"

"Claire, shut up and take it"

"Alright, alright" she said, defeated "cool it"

Just as she was putting it on her mouth, Myrnin was immediately beside her, and slapped the pill away.

"Hey—!"

"Forget the pill," he said "You might have an overdose. They're only designed for vampire consumption anyway"

"Sheesh. So what now then? I can't work while I'm sleepy" and she'd yawned again, proving him her point

Grabbing the bottle from her hands and putting it back in his pocket, he told her "Vampire saliva makes you awake. It's one of our perks"

She raised an eyebrow "So?"

In one blinding unexpected motion, he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Hard.

* * *

A/N: Thank you very much for your continued support! (: I don't just mean this for the reviewers. This also goes out to those who Alerted, and Favorited TWWT. xo

P.S. I also think it's about time they kiss, no? Don't worry, this will only be the first of their many kisses. hah.


	10. Chapter 10

The Way We Talk

Chapter 10

oOo

She can actually feel him working on her mouth.

Claire felt the most peculiar sensation in her stomach as he kissed her. It was a mix of shock, numbness, outrage, and guilt. _Guilt_. That last one gave her the impulse to push him away with all her might. His grip on her was tight, but she managed to shove him away from her a couple of spaces. Myrnin complied.

He took a smooth step back from her and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Did you actually just kiss me?" she exploded with disbelief "Seriously, are you out of your mind?"

He inclined his head to acknowledge the deed. "I was merely helping to keep you awake. The question is: did it work?"

She contemplated for a while, and realized that yes, she felt awake, but only because he kissed her, and not because of his disgusting vampire saliva. Oh, if Shane knows, she'll bet on her life, he won't take this lightly. The thought of Shane knowing made her insides curl.

No. Shane doesn't need to know about this.

It was a stupid mistake.

"I don't think it did" she told him, eyes flashing

He shrugged "For shame" he said, "It was worth a try anyway. I didn't know vampire saliva was folklore"

"You and your stupid experiments" she scolded him "Don't pull a stunt like that ever again, Myrnin. Or I swear I'll never talk to you"

They returned to the experiment, as if things never happened between them. He was back to adding a few drops of solution to another with a medicine dropper. While she was busy tabulating her data on a nearby chair, her face in an unfixable scowl.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?"

"What do _you_ think?" she snapped

"I'm sorry. I was out of line, I think" He looked at her sitting form and smiled "On the bright side, I did keep you awake though, didn't I?"

She sighed, "You really are impossible sometimes"

"What do you mean 'impossible'?"

She straightened her paperwork on her lap and replied, "Just that sometimes, I would happily trade you for Bob's company. _And_ he's a spider. Go figure"

Myrnin harrumphed like a child and returned to his work.

oOo

They only had one hour left.

Claire was about to faint from exhaustion, but she fought so hard to keep it at bay, just so she can see the completion of their work. Myrnin was back to his manic modes. He mixed chemicals and weighed masses while muttering to himself instructions she could not decipher.

"Only one more procedure" he told her exhausted form, on the same chair, still analyzing data after data for accuracy and precision.

She walked towards him weakly as he lifted one vial with a bright blue solution and another vial with a yellow one dramatically. He poured them in one small beaker and they observed as the effect was instantaneous: the solution turned into a lively green color.

She shifted nervously as the reaction bubbled, and let out a low hiss. Myrnin grinned at her, and she returned it with a weak one. "The bubbling and hissing indicates the binding of molecules together" he said to her "Now all we have to do is wait for a few more minutes for these less saturated and concentrated solution to harden and take the form of pills again."

Claire felt really happy, but it was a faint one, because she was so sure she was going to pass out milliseconds from now.

"We did it Claire!" he beamed at her again, his arms now on her shoulders

Oh no. Her vision has gotten blurry. Myrnin turned into one pale outline.

"Hooray..." she said weakly, before fainting into his arms and seeing darkness

oOo

She heard some bustling around her, even before she opened her eyes. By the sound of the abrupt and manic movements, she deduced that it was Myrnin. When she finally decided to open her eyes, the room was dark. She was in a very comfortable bed, and the light came only from a narrow opening of a curtain window.

It was morning, and she was in bed.

And it all went back, the experiment, Myrnin in her room, and Michael, who they needed to save. She sat up so fast in her bed that she got dizzy, but not fully all the way because a pale hand restrained her, and held her in place.

She looked at the owner of the hand.

Myrnin

"What happened?" she demanded nervously "Is Mike okay? Did the pill work?"

He sighed at her questions, and eased her shoulder back in a lying position. "He is fine. I cured him just in time." He assured her "Now please, stop asking questions and go back to sleep, you make me worry"

She looked up at him as he sat on the bed beside her. He worried for her? Really now?

"Where is Mike?" she said, "I want to see him"

He hushed her gently, scooting the blanket cover up to her chin. "He is getting better, and as of the moment, he is trying to regain his strength. You can talk to him later, when the both of you are well rested"

It was her turn to sigh at him "Did I really faint?"

"Yes"

For a moment, they just looked at each other. He was still sitting on the bed at her side, and she had the covers up to her chin. But even then, she still shivered at the intensity of his gaze boring unto hers. She watched as he uncovered the blanket from her body and took her hand in his.

She did not flinch whatsoever as he brought her hand to his face and smelled the insides of her wrist. In fact, she felt a warm surge of want trickling down her body as he did this to her. She saw the look in his eyes, and she knew he felt the same.

He was hungry

"Are you hungry?" she said to him quietly

"No"

_liar_

He turned her hands upside down and traced the blue veins along her fingers. "You have such a dainty hand"

She almost blushed at the compliment. People never gave compliments about her hands. They always say nice things about her, and her brains, but never her hands. Shane didn't even notice them too much, but Myrnin did, and she is confused as to why he was telling her this all of a sudden.

"Are you exhausted?" she asked again

"Tremendously" he replied

"Rest, then"

"I need to look out for you" he whispered against the dark room

"You don't need to anymore" she said gently "I'm fine"

"Claire..."

It was the way he whispered her name at her, that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. As much as she wanted to conceal, and stop the fast pounding of her heart, she couldn't. And she knew Myrnin can hear it better.

He smiled at her "Thank you"

She wasn't sure what he was thanking her for, but she nodded her head anyway. "Thank _you, _Myrnin. You kept your promise and cured Mike"

"We did it Claire, not just me"

"But still" she argued softly "I know that to you, Mike's not any different from an ordinary experiment. I'm glad you made the effort"

He cocked his head to the side, and his curls moved with him, while his eyes were big and analytic "I can see the role of importance he imparts in your life Claire. Michael Glass is family to you. I can see that fully well. And I know it will break your heart to see him dead"

He sounded so human when he says things like these to her. And every time he does these human things, she feels just a tad bit different about him. She allowed him to hold her hand on his lap, silently glad of the comforting contact.

"Myrnin, I know you're exhausted. Please rest. We all need it" she said after a while

"You need it more than I do"

"Please" she pulled his hand towards her, knowing that he might be feeling so much exhaustion from not being able to sleep. "We can share the bed"

It was a moment too late to take the request back. She inwardly flinched as she realized the weight and implication of her rash request. She hopes he would decline. What would Shane say if he learned about her daring acts? He would hate her forever, for sure.

There was silence, an indication that he was thinking about it. But after a moment, he sighed and let her hand go.

"That would be wrong in so many levels, Claire" he told her, his voice strained

She secretly sighed in relief, but she also felt a drop of disappointment at the rejection. "You're right"

He gave her a manic smile before standing up from the bed. "Please feel better"

Then he kissed her lightly on the forehead and left

oOo

It was half past six in the evening when she woke up again. The room was entirely dark now, and there was no light on the windows. The sun must've set.

She'd just gotten out of bed, and switched the lights on when she noticed a sticky note on her nightstand.

Her heart IS filled with relief when she saw it was Michael's handwriting. He was _really_ alive.

It says that he dropped by her room and didn't bother waking her up when he saw her sleeping. He also said in the note that he and Myrnin were waiting at the bar in the hotel for her until she wakes up.

With a triumphant grin on her face, she quickly showered and changed to meet them.

oOo

She walked towards the bar doubtfully, when she saw throngs of people, all men and women alike enter and leave with lavish clothes and jewelry. But she tugged on her black dress for courage, and pushed the door to let herself in. There was no time to feel shame or self-consciousness, Michael was waiting for her.

As soon as she spotted Michael's golden hair among the crowd, she immediately ran towards him and gave him the biggest bear hug.

She can feel Michael laughing when she hugged him "Hey there, Claire bear. What's with the enthusiasm?"

She was about to answer him, but closed her mouth just in time. It was better that Michael didn't know she and Myrnin didn't sleep just to save him from dying last night. It was too much information, and punishable by the founder.

"Nothing. I just feel so alive, after taking a long nap" _and so glad you're alive_

"That's great to hear then" said Myrnin, and she averted her look from Michael to his and saw that he had on a different outfit. This time, there was none of the silly tattered shirts from the middle ages. He looked every bit as presentable as he is handsome. He had on a grey button down shirt, and black pants. She also grinned to see him wearing a pair of vans at his feet.

"Wow" she remarked at him "Did an alien invade your body?"

He rolled her eyes at her and motioned her to sit. "Now that we are all here at last, alive _and _awake, I want us to begin our duties"

With that statement, he pulled out the delivery box from his bag and placed it on the round table between them. "Claire, You and I will deliver this to one of my kind tonight"

She is confused "Your kind...? Does that mean they live in Florida too?"

"Yes"

"That is very strange" said Michael, who was just as confused as she was. "How can they survive in a place like this? Florida's hotter than Morganville, for God's sake"

Myrnin gave them both a neutral smile and said, "Florida is much more advanced in technology, living here is easier even if the temperature is higher"

"Right" said Claire "And do you know who we're going to deliver that package to?"

Myrnin motioned them to stand up from their chairs, and follow him on the way out "I guess we're going to find out"

oOo

They were back in the Hummer again, and Michael was driving. This time, Myrnin was riding shotgun while Claire was at the back together with the package.

As they were driving along the road and more away from their hotel, she wondered if the package thing was still a hoax. Amelie did tell her and Myrnin that it was one of her plans to lure Michael out to the sun. But delivering the package seems real, and to an unknown vampire too, it would seem.

Without a moment's notice, her cell rang.

Claire fished out the contraption from her jeans pocket and checked out who it was.

Shane

She swallowed delicately and gathered her nerves for a few milliseconds, before answering.

"Hello?"

"Babe"

There it was: his voice. Her heart started to hurt at the prospect of him not knowing where she actually was, and her not being able to see him at all.

"Shane" she almost crooned on the phone "I miss you so much, it hurts"

"And there goes the heartbeat..." Myrnin remarked from the front seat. She kicked the back of his chair before resuming her conversation on the phone.

"How are you?" she said

"I'm right above his lab" he informed her "Are you allowed to come out and meet me? I really just want to talk and see you in person. I miss you so damn much, I'd willingly give a pint of blood to a vamp just to see you"

Her heart dropped from her chest. He was there, above Myrnin's lab? How can he go there at night? It was so dangerous out, and not to mention, a wasted effort. Seeing as he had no clue where she really was, she made an inaudible sound on the phone and waved at Michael and Myrnin for help.

"You're out there, waiting for me?" she repeated, for Michael and Myrnin's sake. "You know how dangerous it is, don't you?"

"I know, but I've got myself covered and protected. I'd do anything just to see you even for a second. Can you tell him to let you go out for a while?" He sounded just like a lost little boy, anxious to find home.

"Shane" she mumbled, "I don't think I'm allowed to. Amelie's orders remember?"

He let out a frustrated sigh "Fine. If I'm not allowed to see you, can I just go in? Can your stupid boss open the door and let me in to see my girl?"

"I'll—I'll ask him" she said hesitantly, her heart dropping lower and lower still.

She handed Myrnin the phone, but he shook his head. "Absolutely not" Myrnin said to her, making sure his voice was audible on the phone "Amelie will be furious if she knows"

"Shane, he said no"

"Fuck, I don't care!" he exclaimed, and then there was a sound of loud poundings, and the creaking of wood. "I'm going in whether he likes it or not"

"Shane!" she said, her heart leaping dangerously in her chest "No. Don't Shane. That is a bad idea"

"Why? What the hell is wrong with seeing you again? I just need to see you, Claire. I don't give a damn about anything anymore. I just want to know you exist. I'm going crazy thinking about when you'll be coming back"

At this point, a few tears had escaped her eyes. Oh, Shane. She really wanted to give him the tightest hug she could muster, and fill him with assurance and comfort that she was alive, and very much in love with him still.

"Shane, please stop" her lip quivered "I promise you, I will come back very soon. Just don't do it please. This is very important to me that you don't. Please. _Please. _Amelie will ruin you_"_

"It's very dark here" said Shane who ignored her plea. "Where are you?"

She bit her lip. She cannot tell him at all. She cannot say a thing. This made her cry even harder.

"I..." she said weakly "I have to go. I love you"

"Claire—?" his voice is scared "Where the hell are you? Why is it so dark here, why—? CLAIRE, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? DID HE DO SOMETHING TO YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE IS HE?"

"I love you Shane" she muttered again, before clicking off her phone

Silence

And then she broke down on the car seat, thinking how hard it is to lie to him about everything.

Michael asked for her hand, and when she reached out to him, he squeezed it gently and comfortingly and didn't let go for the duration of the drive.

oOo

"I think we can stop here"

Myrnin had been thoroughly silent after Shane's phone call, but after the car rolled in on a deserted forest right by the countryside, he had gone from rigid to slack, fingers tapping frenziedly on the dashboard.

Michael halted the Hummer, and switched the ignition off.

"Where exactly are we delivering this package?" he said, tousling his golden hair uneasily.

Myrnin ignored him and got out of the car before anyone got out anymore word or question. With a sigh, Claire and Michael followed him outside.

He was nowhere to be found.

"Myrnin?" Claire called out nervously out into the open

The gigantic forest across them was spooky enough in the dark. Trees that hovered over them created shadows that gave the illusion of thin, spindly hands owned by witches. She shifted from one foot to another, and tried to calm another panic attack that she was sure would come.

"Mike?" she said, reaching out for his arm. "Can you see where Myrnin is?"

He took her hand in his comfortingly, and scanned the forest with his eyes. "He's not that far. I guess he's checking if it is dangerous for us to enter the forest or not. Let's give him a few minutes"

They leaned against the car, while eerie silence continued to surround them.

"I wonder what's inside the package" she said to him

Michael looked at the small box on her hand, and then raised his gaze to look at her "Something very valuable, I think."

"Yeah, I guess..."

There was another wave of silence around them, before Michael decided to break it.

"What did Shane want?"

At the sound of his name, Claire closed her eyes in pain.

"Me" she said quietly "He wanted to see me, and I couldn't give it to him"

"And he was forcing you, wasn't he?"

"Yes"

Michael disentangled his arm from Claire's grip, and put it around her shoulders. "He just misses you, you know. I know him, he doesn't have that much patience." Then he paused, and weighed his next words "Shane loves you Claire, that the idea of you not existing hurts much more than his sister's death. I know this not because he tells me things, but because I see the things he does"

"I know Mike, I know" her fingers trembled against the package, but she held it firm.

"I miss Eve, too. It drives me crazy, but I'll have to wait it out. Seeing her after all of this will be so much sweeter" then he smiled at her, making him look more divine than he already is "After all, absence really does make the heart grow _fonder_"

"Thanks, Michael" she said "I'm so glad you're here with me, even if I know nobody's really glad to be here"

"Anytime"

oOo

Myrnin had come back a few minutes, looking a bit shaken, with his hair tousled and collar askew.

At once, when Claire spotted him making his way back to them, she leaned away from the car and walked towards him with worry. "What happened? Why did you walk out on us like that?"

"I was trying to figure out where she lives"

"She?" Claire repeated "She's a 'she'? And don't you have any address?"

"This forest is the address Amelie gave me" he said, grabbing her arm so that they can walk together back into the forest "And yes, she's a she. I think I might even know who this is, if my suspicion is proven"

"Who?"

"It's better if I do not talk about it more until we arrive in her villa." He quickened his pace, and she had to struggle to keep up.

Myrnin whipped his head back and called out to Michael, "We'll be right back. Please do not follow"

Then they made way across the forest, their feet crunching the dead leaves in every step. Claire knowingly adjusted the backpack behind her, hoping that she wouldn't have the reason to use the silver-coated stakes and guns.

As they walked further in, and farther from the open road, their surroundings have become eerily quiet. It gave her a bit of a fright, and walked a step closer to Myrnin.

Myrnin broke the silence by saying, "He was being persistent, wasn't he?"

At once, when she realized he was talking about Shane, she furrowed her brows. "He's not being persistent Myrnin. He just misses me"

Her answer met silence and as they wound further into the forest, only their footsteps against the leaves were heard. And then Claire heard it, a sigh. When she looked at Myrnin, his eyes were downcast and dark.

"Of course he does" he finally said, his tone oddly different "Who wouldn't miss someone like you, Claire?"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked in confusion.

His nose crinkled at the corners, and she can see just how locked his jaw was. Not once did he look at her when she looked at him, that she felt as if he was avoiding her gaze.

"Nothing" with that, he cleared his throat and urged her to walk faster "Come"

Myrnin suddenly took hold of her hand and led the way.

oOo

It was, as what Myrnin had described, a villa. Found in a deep, if not the deepest part of the forest where it is secluded from common mortals. There was something about this particular villa that gave her the creeps even before they opened the iron-wrought gates and walked the pathway towards the large oak doors.

For one, it was a gloomy colour of grey. The windows were almost non-existent, and it looked haunted. As if no one actually inhabited inside whatsoever. It was huge—yes, stretching from left to right in what must have been acres of land, but it was easily the creepiest villa she's ever seen.

She looked around and saw that the courtyard is filled with headless statues, all filled with grime and dirt. Nobody must have bothered to clean it up. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Myrnin's hand, forgetting that she was not to engage in any kind of contact with him. He was still her boss after all.

Myrnin did not say a word at her, and continued to lead her on the large door with a somber look on his face.

Right before they knocked, he turned to her and grabbed her shirt collar and folded it up, so that her neck is concealed.

"What'd you do that for?" she asked, backing away from him with a perturbed look on her face

"Whatever you do, do not show the rich amount of blood running down your pulse points" he murmured to her lowly, before raptly knocking twice on the door.

She felt fear at his words and clutched her bag tighter.

Around them, the knock echoed. It was that silent, that the noise sounded so loud when it in fact wasn't.

The door opened for them, and they went in.

oOo

"I _knew_ it" she heard him mutter with anguish.

"Knew what?" she asked

She looked around and is surprised when the inside was alive and warm. She expected to see cob webs, caskets, and human bones lazily slung and decorated everywhere. The fireplace was crackling merrily, and the walls were a mahogany hue, making the rich red cushions and throw pillows look soft and inviting.

And she saw, the large picture frame hanging above the fireplace.

It was of a woman, with heavily lidded eyes, a thin nose belonging only to those of royal blood, and blood-red lips that showed perfect white teeth behind. Her red hair made her look fierce, confident, and in poise. And as the picture looked back at Claire with resolute coldness, she felt fear yet fascination at the unknown stranger's portrait.

"Sylvia" said Myrnin

Claire removed her eyes away from Sylvia's picture, and looked at her boss, who looked as if he was about to hyperventilate at any moment.

"Ah, Myrnin"

The voice was soft like the wind, but also firm.

They both turned to their left to find the living counterpart of the portrait. This time, the vampire going down the stairs towards them now had a dirty blond hair, but her ocher eyes, royal nose, and blood-red lips were still there, all surrounded by the flawless pale color of her skin.

Claire felt as if an angel had come down before her. She shifted uncomfortably on her foot, and looked away.

"And who is this human?" said Sylvia, finally reaching the foot of the stairs. She paused there, and assessed Claire with stoic eyes.

"Ah" said Myrnin, clutching Claire's shoulders comfortingly "This is Claire Danvers. My assistant"

"Oh? Where is Ada, then? Surely you don't need two assistants"

Sylvia seems to know Myrnin

Claire looked at her again, and realized Sylvia was regarding her with a calculating look, then gave her a miniscule smile, a tiny raise of her lips. But it didn't reach her eyes.

"Um" said Myrnin, uncomfortable "Ada isn't..."

"I see" Sylvia said cooly, walking towards them now, her heels making loud impact on the floor. "I see your hand, and see no promise ring, which means Ada might not be under your rule any longer, or she'd died altogether and has left you. Your hair is disheveled, your footwear and clothes are remarkable, your eyes are tired which tells me you have not slept last night, and there happens to be a pungent stain on your sweater sleeve, rum? You've just come from the bar to meet your assistant—" her eyes met Claire's "—and someone else, isn't it? Another vampire? He's here now with you, but not inside the house, I can smell his drug-tainted scent"

Claire and Myrnin exchanged looks.

"And ah, your assistant." Continued Sylvia "She changed you, coerced you to wear these clothes judging by the way you hold your posture, Myrnin, which I know you always hold with confidence. Now you are here to deliver a package from Amelie, you of all people, because she knows our past relationship and is hoping I can be persuaded somehow if you show up with your innocent-looking assistant that you seem to be fond of very much, am I correct, or should I shut myself in a casket and not come out?"

_Holy shit_. Claire's heart pounded so hard on her chest. How on _earth_ did she get that? Was she a seer?

"And you, human girl" said Sylvia, fixing her with a look "A college student, aren't you? I see the lines on your forehead, and the veins on your right hand which means your right hand is more dominant. You're a bit too young for university, but you're held forward because you have superior intelligence even if you're quite uncertain about the future. Quite a loyal lover to an impatient boyfriend, judging by the promise ring on your hand at such a young age, You have been crying earlier, by the wetness from your collar, and you are quite fond of your boss, by the way you try to wear something nice this evening. Am I right?"

Claire's mouth was open in shock "How—?" she was about to say, but Myrnin silenced her with a look.

"Still the same, aren't we, Sylvia?" and with that, Myrnin disengaged from Claire and walked towards the vampire, and gave her a hug. Sylvia was grinning now, and hugged him back, her arms going around his neck.

"Always the same" she murmured "I missed you, partner"

"Hmm..." Myrnin mumbled in agreement

Myrnin never gives hugs.

_What the hell?_

Claire looked at both the perfect-looking vampires who continued their hugging, and wondered sullenly how and why she had to endure some occurrence like this.

And oh, who the hell is this Sylvia, _really?_

* * *

**A/N: Again, I would like to thank everyone for their support despite my lack of updates. Hope you guys enjoyed this one! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

The Way We Talk

Chapter 11

ooo

"Sylvia and I were very interested in Forensic Anthropology a long time ago" Myrnin explained to Claire, when the three of them settled down on the living room. Claire, who had no idea how to take this piece of information, only nodded as if she understood the depth of Myrnin and Sylvia's kinship.

Sylvia laughed "God, that was such a long time ago, wasn't it, Myrnin darling? But I can still remember everything like it happened yesterday, the crimes and mysteries, the laboratories, the way we ridicule Sherlock Holmes. Good times"

"Did you say Sherlock Holmes?" Claire piped up in curiosity "Isn't he from a book?"

It did not go amiss to her the way Sylvia and Myrnin exchanged looks of glee, like they shared this joke only the both of them knew about. This made Claire uncomfortable more than ever. Sylvia was quite different from Amelie, but while the founder was to be respected at all times, Sylvia did not give off the same vibe, although Claire felt as if there has to be this perfect balance of respect and fear. It was quite complicated, really.

"Of course, child" said Sylvia with a hint of sarcasm "Written by our late friend Arthur Doyle. But that is not the point, exactly. It's just that Myrnin and I have done works just like Mr. Holmes"

"But you just said that you both 'ridicule' him" Claire said

This time, Myrnin inserted "Only because we believe we can solve the mystery quicker than him. No arrogance intended, of course. But we are only speaking the truth"

"Oh?" This made Claire's eyebrow quirk up. The thought of two vampires comparing themselves to a fictional character was quite ridiculous. "And what happens when you do?"

"I don't believe I follow" said Sylvia, fixing her a cold look now.

Claire's heartbeat picked up speed from the look, but she hoisted herself to her full sitting height and said, "What happens when you compare yourself to him? Do you feel an odd sense of jubilance? Because frankly, I think comparing yourself to someone fictional is ridiculous"

She noticed Sylvia's brows shot up. But it wasn't anger, but of mere surprise. After a few moments of silence, she turned to Myrnin and said, with her red lips poised up predatorily, "My, my, Myrnin. You have got a _feisty_ assistant. No wonder you feel so strongly for her"

Claire's back stiffened at what she heard. When she peeked a glance at Myrnin, his eyes were determinedly fixed on the carpet.

"Sylvia" said Myrnin, in a cool voice. "Why don't we go back to the reason why I am here?"

Sylvia laughed, and it was rich and beautiful. "I already know, Myrnin. I even know what's inside that tiny parcel of yours."

"You do?" said Claire, narrowing her eyes "How?"

"Isn't it quite obvious?" replied Sylvia "I thought you were smart, girl. Why don't you notice the way the package was packed? Very little support, not much scotch tape, and the box itself is very fragile looking. Clearly, it is not something breakable inside."

Claire looked at the box sitting on her lap, and realized just now that yes, the box was made of thin cardboard, and there were only two scotch tapes to fasten the box close. When she shook it though, she could not decipher the sound.

Sylvia laughed at her, which made her flush in embarrassment. "You would make a very lousy detective" she said to Claire. "Clearly, once again, judging from the sound of thinness, hitting on thinness, it is a gold card inside. Now let me have it."

Claire fixed Myrnin a 'what the hell' look, but he only shrugged and motioned her to hand over the box. She passed the box on and Sylvia tore it open with a sharp movement of her fingernail. Then, out from her hand there immerged the golden card from inside the box. She was right.

The attractive vampire sat still for a moment, while she is reading the card, before fixing them both a steady look. "My answer is resolute: It is a no"

"Wait, what?" said Claire "What did Amelie ask?"

From beside her, Myrnin sighed. "Amelie wants Sylvia to move to Morganville and work with me on a confidential case."

"You seem to be missing one detail, Myrnin" said Sylvia with an arrogant smile. "Amelie states here that if I do agree to this proposal, I have the privilege of three humans in six months. Fresh and free for consumption"

"_What?!"_ said Claire, aghast. That price was too high. If Amelie set that condition, Sylvia must really be needed in Morganville. But for what? "All the vampires are given one human privilege. A year. Why would she offer you something like this?"

"Why, indeed" said Sylvia, but it was of mockery. And Claire suddenly get it, she was the best. And whatever it was that Amelie needed help with, was so big, that the founder was willing to sacrifice so many humans.

"Amelie told me to ask what you wanted in exchange" said Myrnin "Just to convince you to come with us"

Sylvia stood up, and she walked towards the ceiling high window. "Do you really want me to answer that, Myrnin?"

Claire turned to look at Myrnin, and for a moment, neither looked away. Finally, he gave her a determined smile.

"Yes"

"Very well," said Sylvia "I want the girl"

There was silence, as Claire tried to decipher the request. It was confusing, because there was no name, so she had to ask, "Who—?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Myrnin suddenly roared, and Claire was so shocked, she cannot move a single muscle as she continued to watch him. He stood up, his face enraged, before grabbing Claire's hand in his and tugging her to stand behind him, protecting her all of a sudden. "Never. You cannot have her"

And it was with quick fear, like ice thrown down her back, that she realized Sylvia wanted her. She cowered behind Myrnin, while her hand shakily reached out to her backpack for extra measure.

"Myrnin—" said Sylvia

"Claire is far too valuable. Anyone else. Choose anyone else, except her!"

"Your dedication to this human amuses me, Myrnin" she said calmly "It is admirable of course, but very stupid. If you do not wish to give her to me, then what else can you offer?"

"Anyone else" His grip on Claire tightened.

Sylvia poised one red fingernail under her chin and thought for a moment. "How about that other vampire you are with? That one whose blood reeked of drugs"

Claire's eye widened when she realized she was talking about Michael. "No! You can't have him either!" she very nearly yelled, at the top of her voice, out of panic.

Sylvia fixed her an unreadable look "Why is it that I can't get what I want?" She walked away from the window and towards Myrnin "Fine. Choose, girl. You give yourself to me, or you give your friend to me. That is quite simple, isn't it?"

"Sylvia—" said Myrnin

"I believe you have no say in this, old friend" she said in reply, "You are, after all, just a spectator and Amelie _did_ tell you to ask me anything I wanted. After watching you and your assistant interact, I think it will be a fun game to play. Just a little giving and taking game, you know?"

At that, the hairs at the back of Claire's neck stood up to form goose bumps. Whoever Sylvia was, she wasn't very nice, and her intentions are not pure. It was like witnessing a living female counterpart of Oliver: someone cold, intimidating, and cruel.

Myrnin growled at Sylvia, and took a few measured steps back, guiding Claire with him. "I will not allow anything to happen. Do you understand me, Sylvia? I understand this game. This had been fun so many years ago, but not now. And not with her. I will never allow it"

"That is just adorable, Myrnin. Very protective, I like that."

Claire's eyes narrowed. She had enough of this silly vampire who talked as if humans were only toys to be played with. With a quick hand, she reached out for a silver-coated stake and held it up across Sylvia threateningly.

"Stop" Claire said with venom in her voice "I may look so fragile to you, but I swear to God, I'm not. I'm deadly with a stake."

Sylvia looked contemplative for a moment, eyeing the stake on Claire's hand, before backing away a few steps.

"Maybe it is best that we come back another time" said Myrnin, his shoulders stiff. "Claire?"

He extended her a hand, his face impassive yet resolute. She took a deep breath and took his hand in hers, while her other hand held the stake tightly still. Together, they walked away from Sylvia and towards the door.

"Wait" said Sylva from behind them

Claire looked back at the attractive vampire, stake at the ready. Sylvia had her hands wrapped around herself and for once, Claire saw the vulnerability of this vampire.

"Fine" Sylvia said to them, voice resigned "Forget about the girl and the vampire deal. I've been meaning to ask for help about something for long time, but it never came. Maybe I can ask you to help me, in exchange for what Amelie wants"

"Help?" Myrnin said, walking away from the door and back towards the main hall. "What troubles you in this seemingly desolate place, Sylvia?"

Claire still had trouble figuring out if she ought to buy the help story, or raise her silver stake higher. It was beyond her, how Sylvia sounded so helpless all of a sudden. With her eyes narrowed, she followed Myrnin back into the living room.

"What you don't know is" said Sylvia solemnly "that there are vampire hunters in this part of town, trying to infiltrate the secret vampire community. It started a few months ago. I thought they were harmless, a couple of bored humans who had nothing to do with their time, but after the vampire massacres, I clearly thought wrong. They are out to kill vampires."

The hairs at the back of Claire's neck stood up to chill her, "But who? Who would do this? They must be well-equipped to do such things"

From beside her Myrnin nodded but remained silent, his eyes intense.

"Yes, child. I know" Sylvia paused and looked at her contemplatively, as if testing how much Claire should know. "A couple of vampires, including myself had started planning on how to fight back these vampire hunters. We had tried tracking everything. From the murders, to the weapons, and even the hide-out, but up until now, everything is very unclear. They are very quick to their feet, almost alarmingly fast as us vampires. So we had reached a conclusion: The leader of the hunters had to be a vampire"

"What? And what makes you say that?" Myrnin said

Sylvia stood up, and walked languidly towards the other room. When she came back, she had a bottle of wine with her. "I believe liquid courage is needed to talk about this" she poured them a glass and one for herself. Without a back glance, she took in the wine-filled glass and drank it in one gulp.

Sylvia fingered the handle of her glass before putting it back on the table. "We managed to capture one hunter and used enough means to force information out of him. We found out they had one vampire in their midst—"

"Who is it?"

"We were not able to catch the name. He was killed by his fellow hunters." said Sylvia "When we left him for the night, unsure of what to do with him, another hunter broke in the shed and killed him. I am guessing they do not reward acts of cowardice."

"So what is it that you want to help you with?" asked Myrnin "How can we help to this situation?"

"Hunt them down and stop them from killing our kind" Sylvia replied "If you can do it, then I will move in to Morganville and help you one again with Forensics"

"And when do we start?"

"Immediately" said Sylvia, walking away from them now, her face bunched up into a grimace "It might be better for you to camp out in the forest. Anywhere else sheltered is filled with humans. And they are so quick to smell vampires. You might find yourself murdered in your sleep, friend"

"And I am supposed to be afraid of these humans?" he asked with sarcasm "I remember clearly who is more powerful in this equation. And it is us, Sylvia. The vampires are very capable beings"

"I know. But we should not underestimate them, because they are rising to our level. Soon enough, they might even be more powerful than us, if we let another moment slip by"

"Sylvia" started Claire, wanting to ask if camping out was really a good idea.

"I am sorry child, if I tried to take you away from Myrnin. It is, but just a game. But no more. I understand that you are one of us now."

With that, she walked back up the stairs and never came back.

ooo

When they came back to the car, they found Michael standing guard against it, a sharp expression on his face.

"Mike" said Claire, feeling relief at seeing him. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine" said Michael "but there was a car that keeps on coming back here. Every time it passes me, it slows down then speeds up."

Claire's heart dropped. The vampire hunters.

"Did you see who they are?"

Michael shrugged "Just a couple of harmless humans. It's not a big deal. They looked bored"

At the word 'harmless' Claire and Myrnin exchanged looks.

"Mike" said Claire, hating herself for bringing him into this trouble "We have to tell you something"

ooo

That night, they camped out in the forest just as Sylvia ordered. They found a large enough clearing for three tents just near the villa and prepped it up, together with a campfire right at the very middle. It was eerie around, especially when the only light the three had was the moon and the fire that seem to illuminate their shadows very largely.

"Where's Myrnin?" Michael asked Claire after they shared dinner together.

Claire placed the cup on the forest ground and brought the coat tighter around herself. "He went to talk to Sylvia for more information. I don't know when he will be back"

Michael sat across her while the campfire cracked merrily at the middle of them. Claire sighed from the cold before holding out her hand to warm it up.

"The whole thing sounds so all of a sudden" Michael said "I mean, we don't even know so much yet. Is Myrnin sure we really ought to help?"

"Mike, the only way for Sylvia to come to Morganville is if we help her with this dilemma. It's what she asked for. And, according to Amelie, we should do anything to get Sylvia to our town."

Michael nodded "I understand. But at what price? The founder is so willing to risk our lives, isn't she? It's like she doesn't care at all whatever happens to us"

Claire didn't know how to respond to that, because it was like Michael had said her thoughts out loud. So she picked up her mug and eased it back at the middle of her hands.

"Do you know Sylvia?" Claire asked, after a few moments of silence

"Not much," said Michael. "I know _of_ her, but not her"

That made her ears perk up in curiosity, "yeah? What do you know about her?"

Michael shrugged "Well I did hear that she's really good with forensics. Flat out genius. She'd helped a great deal identifying dead identities for generations. And, she's a detective. Has a talent for reading people, but she's not that good with physical stuff."

"Physical stuff?" asked Claire, quirking an eyebrow

"She's not that good at fighting. She's really vulnerable. An easy target, if you will"

"Oh?" Claire said "But doesn't all vampires have killer instincts and built-in physical abilities?"

Michael shrugged at her again "She's what you can call an exception. She's not really violent. She avoids them, if she can help it. But that's all I know"

"What about her and Myrnin? Have they ever..?"

Michael smiled, understanding her question "Had been partners for ages. Helped unmask crimes, dead people, laboratory work...they're unstoppable as a team"

Claire looked away and tried to shut down the rising panic inside her. They were unstoppable as a team? That almost made her and Myrnin as a team sound so feeble and lame. It was the truth now, Sylvia was just so much better at working with Myrnin than her.

She stood up and bade Michael good night, telling him she was tired.

ooo

When she wasn't able to sleep later that night, she decided to take a little stroll in the forest to clear her mind.

"Can't sleep?"

Claire turned in surprise and saw that Myrnin had followed her, just a few steps behind.

He looked just as peculiar in the night-light as most vampires. His skin glowed almost bone-white, illuminated by the moon. But his presence here with her, in one of the deepest and most subdued part of the forest made his existence more...surreal, almost unheard of. He had his hands tucked lightly on his jeans pocket, and when she looked into his big brown eyes, they bored to hers with curiosity.

She took a step back from him, a few dead leaves crunching underneath her boots at the process. It felt different, being here with him. Somehow, the place they were in felt more disconnected from the world, like another secret world nobody has known about. "Are you following me?" She demanded, wrapping both her arms around herself.

"Maybe" he said to her, a small smile jutting from his lips "But it _is_ dangerous out here in the forest, you know. Not that you don't know that. A lot of wild species lurk around the trees. They may even be listening to us right now"

She shrugged "I'm used to danger. I've had lots of practice in Morganville"

He quirked his eyebrows "true" he said, then after a brief pause, he asked "But aren't you tired?"

She turned her back to him, hoping that his incessant questions would stop if she did so, and continued walking a few spaces further down, feeling the sharp texture of tree trunks and leaves rub against her shoulders. When she finally reached a small clearing, where the moon was visible far above, she finally stopped and turned to see if Myrnin followed.

He did.

She sighed, almost fed up with his presence "Fine. You want to know the truth? I can't sleep because there're a lot of things going around my mind right now"

She watched him as he walked the few spaces and stood there beside her. He towered over her, almost a head taller. He was standing quite close, that when she would turn to her right, she can immediately smell his faint scent that always reminded her of the machines inside the laboratory, that impeccably clean and safe smell.

"I'm quite a listener, Claire. Would you like to talk about it, perhaps?"

"Myrnin," she said, turning her body to look at him fully. She studied him, and up until now, she cannot understand how it is that he could sound so human, that she swears if she closed her eyes and listen to him talk the way he did, he would not be singled out as extraordinary, at all.

"What are we?" She continued, her voice muted, yet so loud around the quiet forest

"I don't understand, Claire. What are you trying to ask me?"

She doesn't know how to tell him, exactly. It was quite funny because she was thinking about it all night, but getting it out into the open for him to hear sounded so hard, and impossible, and almost non-existent altogether. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was get away from him and the underlying truth.

"Earlier today...when Sylvia tried to bargain for my blood...she said a few things about you and me..."

She can actually hear his sharp intake of breath, and the stilling of his body. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know" she answered truthfully, "That's kind of where I'm at right now. I don't know what anything means anymore." She impulsively took a step forward, closer to him, and asked, "Do you like me?"

She can see his eyebrows pull together at the middle, and the hardening of his jaw. From around them, everything else is just as still and tense, as if waiting.

"That is a silly question" he said to her "Of course I like you Claire"

"But that's not what I meant" she insisted

"Then what do you want to know?" he demanded. She can sense the budding fear and confusion in it, and all the other underlying implications that he never would have wanted her to hear. It was the way his voice cracked at the last part, like some delicate china with a tiny breakage on the surface behind it.

"Are you _in _love with me?"

Silence

And suddenly, she wished she didn't say anything. Maybe it was better that she didn't talk at all. By asking, she was opening up new things that were worth discovering. It was a combination of something dangerous yet horribly exhilarating.

"Claire—" his hand shot out to grasp her firmly on the wrist. The action made her pull back impulsively, but his grip on her was tight, that resistance was futile.

"Myrnin, please" she said, twisting her hand away to no avail. "Just tell me. _Tell me now_"

His eyes were, for once, not at all manic, but normal and even a bit fearful. "But what point could I possibly make if I tell you?" He hissed at her, speaking through his teeth "What point is there to tell you Claire, that I am an absolutely lonely creature who have done so much damage to the world but still want something for myself?"

She flinched when his hand held her chin up to make her look at him straight in the eye. "What point can I make, if I tell you I have felt absolutely nothing like this to anyone else but you? It is a terrible place to be in! Do you understand me? To desire you is a terrible thing! A curse, even! And every single time I try to think and entertain the idea, I would hate myself even more." He pressed so much closer to her, that she felt as if she could drown in his brown eyes "Now, do you understand the situation I am in?"

She cannot breathe, like there was a little stopper planted at the edge of her nostrils that had the power to block her inhale and exhale motions. "Then don't" she said, finally after what felt like a millennium. "Don't fall for me"

"It's not that easy" he said, finally releasing her grasp. "Everything is never easy with you, Claire. You should know that"

"Are you trying to say that I'm complicated?" she said

"No" he said "I'm trying to say that our situation is complicated. In fact, it is ridiculously complex that I might even consider asking Amelie to remove you as my assistant as soon as we get back in Morganville"

"What?" She exclaimed "Why would you do that? What did I do wrong?"

When he turned his back to her and tried to walk away, she followed after him hurriedly to tug on his jacket sleeve. As she did this, he stopped on his tracks and turned back to look at her with a stoic expression on his face "Myrnin, tell me why." she said, then paused "Why can't we just try to act the way before? It's not really that hard you know. And I know you need me to help you with everything. Quitting, just because there's some weird vibe in the air between us is a pretty illogical thing to do. Morganville needs us, you know."

"'_A weird vibe in the air between us'_?" He asked, "Is that really what you think is going on?"

It did not go unnoticed to her that her question was left unanswered.

"Look," she said, and suddenly, she placed one delicate hand against his right cheek to make him look at her in the eye. "Shane is the one I love. You are a really great guy, Myrnin. You might be a bit crazy sometimes, but you've always been nothing but kind to me. You're smart, and a good teacher. To me, you're not like most vampires. You've sort of become my family, too. And if haven't known Shane, I would probably fall for you."

"Thank you for your kind words Claire." He said, and smiled softly. It might be too dark to determine, but his eyes were downcast. "I have to go" And with that, he started to walk away.

"Myrnin"

She followed him quickly as his long legs strode purposely away from her. From the distance, she can hear an owl hooting, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand. "Myrnin, wait" The sound of her own feet stomping on twigs and leaves were too loud in the muted forest.

"Myrnin," she exclaimed "Will you stop?"

"It's getting awfully late, Claire." he said to her, not looking back "I shall see you in the morning."

"No" and this time, she finally caught up to him enough that she can grab hold of his shirt. When her hand grasped on the cloth, she didn't let go. "Myrnin!"

"What?" he whirled swiftly to look at her again

She let go of his shirt and tucked her hands inside her pockets. "What do you want from me, Myrnin? What do you expect me to do?"

"Nothing!" he said with exasperation "I don't want anything. I just want us to work on the penicillin and cure the vampires. That's all"

She searched his eyes, and found that his were as hard as stone. He looked angry, a bit frustrated and confused.

"Then you need to stop, okay? You need to stop looking at me like that. I get it, now. I really do" she said to him, her voice shaking from wanting it all to get out of her so fast, afraid that her emotions might betray her if she can't get it out fast enough. "It dawned on me, what you wanted, when you tried to protect me from Sylvia. I get it, why Shane is so mad at you all the time. You don't look at me like anything, Myrnin. You look at me like something—"

Myrnin suddenly kissed her that she was stunned to silence, her words freezing then fading away into nothingness. When he kissed her, it was different. It wasn't like Shane's, like a warm bath of sunlight basking her gently. It was Myrnin. Just like him, erratic and frustrated and indecisive and a bit crazy, but the thing was, this kiss was so much more indescribable than it could ever be described.

All she knew was, she suddenly had her back against a tree trunk, the back of her coat digging roughly against it, scratching her skin at the process. And his lips were so deft against hers, filling her with absolutely nothing but fire and live wire inside her veins. She never knew he was this capable. When he moved his hand around her waist, then upwards, to clutch her face with this impulsive gentleness, she wanted to hit him, but she also wanted to cry.

Because suddenly, she realized, his feelings for her were not unrequited.

Somehow, inexplicably, she just knew deep inside her, that she liked him too. No matter how much. But it was enough to make her kiss him back.

"Stop" she gasped, when his lips flitted to her neck. "Stop. I can't do this."

"I'm sorry" he said, not meeting her eyes. He took a step back then turned to walk away, not once looking back at her.

* * *

**A/N: **What did you guys think?


	12. Chapter 12

The Way We Talk

Chapter 12

ooo

When she woke up that next day, her head felt like it was submerged in ice cold water. The lower part of her neck was throbbing in a steady pulse, and her forehead, where most pain came from, was even more terrible than the throbbing. Every part was stingingly painful, that any attempt at all of moving would intensify the unpleasant sensation. So for a good while, she just lied there on her sleeping bag, her eyes concentrated at the thick cloth of grey tent above.

It felt really good for Claire, for a few seconds, having nothing to think about. But then, every bit of last night's occurrence came flooding in, and the searing pain on her head intensified even more.

"Shit" she muttered to herself "shit, shit, shit"

It would've been better if it was a dream. She might even laugh at it, and brush it off her shoulder like invisible lint. But it was so real, so true, that she can almost feel the weight of his lips back against hers.

"Claire?"

She shot up in a sitting position as soon as she heard Michael's voice. She cleared her throat twice, composing the tone of her voice, before answering back, "Mike? Come on in"

"Hey" he said, as soon as he zipped the tent down and came in. He looked clean as always, his blond hair falling neatly into place. He held up a mug of steaming coffee for her. "I didn't know you were still in bed"

She took the cup from him and eased it easily on her fingers. "Yeah, I am."

Michael sat across from her Indian-style, and eyed her up and down. "You look really tired"

"Yeah" she replied, shrugging. She lifted the mug up to her lips "I guess I sort of am"

"Had a rough night?"

"What?" she asked, sounding a bit alarmed. At the word 'night', she'd flinched and brought the mug down to her lap. "What are you talking about?"

Michael raised an eyebrow at her sudden exclamation. And she realized that she was acting weirdly in front of him. He was simply asking the question out of concern, there was no underlying implication or accusation at all.

"Sorry" she said, and sighed "Just have a lot of things on my mind."

He nodded in understanding "Don't we all?"

She decided not to answer him. For all she knew, it was a rhetorical question. She hated rhetorical questions. Mostly because they didn't have definite answers, and she was the type of girl who worshipped answers as if it were god.

But as soon as the silence surrounded them, she started to panic. It was because of the presence of this invisible cloud looming over her, doing all the means to come and creep back in her head, reminding her over and over again of what she'd done. It was the unthinkable: She cheated on her boyfriend. For that, she felt extremely terrible and lousy. She would even feel more terrible if anyone would find out, especially Shane.

She would never forgive herself.

She sucked up all the air inside her mouth before taking another sip of coffee.

"Claire" said Michael suddenly

"Hmm?"

Michael looked at her seriously in the eye, with a curious glint concealing in it "What happened with you and Myrnin yesterday?"

She spilled her coffee on her lap.

"_shit_!" she exclaimed, jumping off in alarm. "The damn thing slipped out of my hand" Quickly, she reached for her backpack and got out a pack of her tissues, wiping at her pyjama pants in frenzy.

"You okay?" He jumped up as well, and tried to offer a hand but she shook her head at him, telling him it was fine. "You're really jumpy, you know that? Something wrong?"

"No!" she said very quickly. Once she realized that she said it in a manner that could raise suspicion, she cleared her throat and tried again, facing him this time, and looking him straight in the eye, "Sorry, Mike" she said, giving him back the mug. "It's just that I'm so tired and pre-occupied at the same time, it's hard to keep things in order. It's like my brain is bleached, or something."

He nodded "Its okay" he said, touching her arm gently in assurance "I understand"

"Thanks" she smiled. Internally, she sighed in relief.

He smiled as well, but pressed on, "So what happened with Myrnin yesterday?"

"Um, what?"

"You and him?" he said again, while she felt a strong heat creeping up to her neck "When you were meeting Sylvia? Did he do something that made you upset? Because I figured if you're behaving like this, it must be because of your crazy boss"

"Oh!" Once again, she felt the relief flood back in her body "Oh, no, no! It's not him. It's me. Just a bit stressed, that's all. It's not a big deal." She even gave a small laugh. After a few seconds, she regretted that. She never give fake laughs. She was sure it sounded terrible.

"Oh, okay. Cool"

She smiled at him again, and hopefully it didn't look like a grimace that said: Myrnin and I kissed in the forest. I cheated on your best friend, I am a lousy person.

"So I'll leave you to change then" he said, in a more cheerful note. She watched him get out of the tent and zip it back up, but before he fully reached the tippy top, he peeped back and said to her, "Oh, I almost forgot, Sylvia and Myrnin are expecting you in the manor. They said they needed your help"

And he was gone.

She closed her eyes to hide away the rising panic again. She'd planned to avoid him today, but it seems like fate never really wanted to give her a break.

It must be laughing so hard at her right now.

ooo

She tried her hardest to calm the beating of her heart. But it seems like, the more her footsteps neared the door that led to the den where Myrnin and Sylvia was, it would get even more hyperactive and erratic, leaving no chance for her to become a decent, calm and collected human being.

So what she did was, she gathered all the courage she could muster and ignored her heart instead. Whatever. They can hear it better anyway, what was the point of hiding it?

Her footsteps echoed around the long, deserted hallway. And finally, after what felt like the longest walk ever, her hand finally came in contact with the gold doorknob.

"Come in, Claire." said the voice of Sylvia from inside, even before she could knock "There's no need to be nervous"

She grimaced. Of course. If there was anyone who could pick up anything that happened, it would be Sylvia. She was, after all, a detective.

Huh.

Claire surprised herself when she opened the heavy door that led to the laboratory, because inside was not what she'd expected. She'd expected it to be like Myrnin's place: disorganized and almost filthy, dust-filled bottles that had various chemicals stored inside, bookshelves shoved carelessly against the walls and covering every available space, and the sound of machines, whirring and shooting smoke.

This was like an office, all covered in old wood that smelled like expensive oak. There was only one bookshelf, right by the left wall, and a wide desk right at the middle, where Sylvia is sitting across, in a tall leather chair.

There was no Myrnin in sight, which calmed her down a great deal.

Sylvia had her fingers intertwined as she looked at Claire with a calculating look. She looked just as immaculate as she did yesterday, like a fallen angel. "Not what you expected to see, is it, child?" she said, smirking. "Please, sit"

"No" Claire answered truthfully, before occupying the stuffy chair across her table.

"Well, then" said Sylvia "Let's get down to business." Claire watched as the vampire fished out an envelope from one of the drawers under the table. "I received this in the mail at exactly three o'clock in the morning. I didn't have the chance to catch the culprit. But here. Please read it"

Claire took the envelope and took out the letter contained inside.

"_I see you're meeting friends. Or should I say, old friends? Your numbers are decreasing, while we remain anonymous and powerful. But I will give you a chance to meet me, and maybe even settle this 'little' conflict. After all, what have we all got to loose? I surely have nothing. And you filthy vampires only have the stench of greed and want, nothing more. _

_Nothing to loose, see?_

_Florida's annual cruise trip will hold a masquerade bash tomorrow evening, at Port One. The boat named Pharaoh rides only rich passengers. I expect you and your friends to join me, and have a little get together._

_If you won't, then I will surely be disappointed in you for declining my invitation, and I will have no choice but to come find you myself..._

_I hope to see you and your friends."_

Claire put down the letter on the table between them with a shaky hand.

"This is not good" she said to Sylvia. "He knows us. But how? We didn't see anyone around the forest. And how did he manage to put this on the mail when Mike and Myrnin practically didn't sleep to guard the manor? What—? Will we go to this cruise trip? Will he show—?"

"Claire" said Sylvia, in a calm but deadly tone. And at once, she stopped talking. "What Myrnin and I are doing for now, is investigating the contents of the letters. The packaging, and even the kind of paper they used. And so far, we have a couple of suspects, mostly rich retired humans. But we do not have definite answers. " she sighed, and stood up to walk around the table, and stopped right there in front of Claire.

"So our best bet is to come to the cruise. _Armed_."

"But—" Claire cut off "But, what if we're not ready? What if we don't know what we're going to get? Who we're going to target? We might accidentally hurt innocent bystanders! Why are you not thinking this through?"

Sylvia shook her head. "There is no time to think of the other people. You call us selfish. And it's true. We only mostly care about ourselves. Sometimes, only protect people we have a connection to, but that is who we are, Claire. When you ask me about this many faceless people, I can honestly tell you that I couldn't care less if they survive or die"

Claire felt the sudden, unexplainable rage settling at the pits of her stomach. "No wonder the vampire hunters are out looking to kill you all. You all are too much. I know you are not human, but this attitude is despicable. Were you not once human? Where is that part of you now? Is it dead, too?"

"Enough!"

Claire stood up from her chair and turned to where the door was. Only Michael would understand. Nobody else had compassion anymore. Nobody else contained even a sliver of emotion for beings that have dreams, and aspirations and feelings.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I cannot help you, Sylvia" she said, as she swiftly walked away "I am all for peace, and stopping the vampire hunters, but if the only way to stop them is to hurt a lot of people in the process, I prefer not to help. Unlike you, I am not a killer."

She walked even more quickly, farther away from Sylvia, and to the exit.

"Stop girl" said Sylvia again, in a soft threatening tone "I know about you and Myrnin"

Claire's body immediately stilled at what she heard. She spun around to face the vampire. "What?" she said, aghast.

"That's right" said Sylvia, and Claire saw the sharp glint in her equally sharp eyes. "I saw the intimate moment the both of you shared in the forest. And unless you want everyone to find out, especially your poor, poor boyfriend back home, then I suggest you think quickly. Help me, I keep quiet. Don't help me, and I tell everyone. Imagine how many lives you can ruin if they find out..."

Claire wanted to stab her so bad with a silver stake, but she knew this was not the solution.

When Claire didn't speak, Sylvia smiled and guided her to her seat again. "Will you help me, or not?" she asked coldly

Claire never looked away from their intense eye contact, but she knew she was loosing. With a sigh, she said "Fine. I will help"

She looked as Sylvia's thin lips stretched out wide, revealing white teeth behind "Excellent"

ooo

"I want you to understand, Claire" said Sylvia, in conclusion to their two hour plotting and converging of plans, "that tomorrow might be where it can all end. If we manage to catch them, and be successful at it, without losing anyone from our side, then we would all be victorious. It's only then that I would accept the offer Amelie asked me to"

Claire's butt was asleep, but her mind was as alert as ever. She even had her pen and paper out, and had jotted important points and things that she was required to do.

"Do you understand the weight of this mission?"

"Yes" Claire said, with a frail nod.

"Repeat again, how we should act once we get inside the enemy's lair?"

"Appear confident and mysterious. Be distant and curious, never appear suspicious. Constant vigilance, and be alert of people that have peculiar behaviour" she recited, almost in one breath.

"Excellent"

Claire was tired of hearing the protocols. Not only was she feeling this searing anger towards Sylvia, for threatening her, but she also hated how difficult everything seems to look like all of a sudden.

It was very hard not to complain. Because just two days ago, she was in Morganville and worried only about when she was going to go home to the Glass house. But this, was like stretching herself to the limit. Suddenly, she was entrusted with plans and things she needed to do. Suddenly, the weight on her shoulders doubled tremendously.

When can she ever live the normal teenager life?

_What a question!_ she can almost hear her subconscious reply to her,_ You're never going to have a normal life, Claire._

"Fine. You may leave, then." said Sylvia in a dismissive tone.

Claire packed up her things monotonously and was about to leave when Sylvia called her back.

"When I said leave, I didn't mean dismiss you from your duties" said Sylvia "I meant that I _am_ dismissing you, but I believe that Myrnin is expecting you to help him"

"Oh" said Claire, feeling disappointment and a little dreadful "Right. Where exactly—?"

"On this door, here." Sylvia pointed to a small door behind her. "It's my file closet. It's quite small actually, but it contains all the news dating back from the 1800s. I think that it would be best to start perusing through possible suspects from prominent people in the news"

"Okay" she said, as she hoisted the strap of her backpack higher up her shoulder "Bye, then"

Without giving herself the time to think, she quickly strode towards the file closet and closed the door behind her.

ooo

When Sylvia said her file closet was small, Claire didn't expect her to be understating things. But it looks like, the vampire really did love playing stupid games.

The closet can barely fit five people. The entire back wall was this wide shelf filled with dust-coated newspapers. And on the floor, with his long legs spread straight, almost covering the entire length of the closet's floor, was Myrnin, sitting, leaning on a vacant wall, next to a stack of newspapers.

"Hi" she said to him awkwardly, when he didn't look up at her arrival.

He only looked at her for a second, his eyes bored, before hiding his face under the papers again. "You're late"

"I'm sorry—"

"Sorry is not good enough though" he said to her in a tight, clipped-tone "Get started girl, we haven't got all day" With that, he tossed her a couple of newspapers and she struggled to catch them all. When she didn't, she heard him sigh with frustration, but didn't say anything more.

She ignored this new treatment, and sat on the floor opposite him, feeling the sharp bricks dig at her back. She started perusing the headlines, read the titles of deaths and scandals by prominent people, dated fifty years back.

Just as she was doing this, she suddenly had this thought. A theory.

She looked up, towards the cabinet with the stacked papers, then towards Myrnin, who she realized, was already looking at her with these unfathomable eyes. She unknowingly flushed, as her eyes darted to his lips, then she looked away and forced a scowl on her face.

"What?" they said at the same time. When no one made the inclination to reply, they both(at the same time) buried their heads back under the newspaper.

Claire clamped her lips together, and decided that she'd rather tell Sylvia about her theory, because she realized that things were a thousand times different with her and Myrnin now, and she hated the fact that she was inside a tiny closet with him, and having to endure who knows how long a time here inside with only him as a company. It was so much different now. She would gladly give some of her blood to a vampire just so she could acquire space from Myrnin.

She tried to go back to reading, even if she felt a slight ringing behind her ears. Impulsively, her fingers managed to crumple the sides of the paper from the weight of the tension inside the room. For a while, it worked. She read again of bombings, and threats of ruining the environment by illegal loggings.

Then, this one article caught her eye: _Edmond Davis, imprisoned for witchcraft and illegal possession of cauldrons and potions._

With a keen interest, her eyes scanned the long article, reading the most important lines: _Davis, 21, was found standing beside the body of Ms. Catherine Baker last Tuesday, October 23, after the former was forced to drink a poison the latter personally concocted on his cauldron._

_Witness, Mr. Ian Baker, brother of Catherine, had only returned his horse to the stables when he saw the incident, including the forceful and violent handling of his sister. He had tried to stop the guilty, but was too late. He acquired few bruises from fist-fighting him, and was successful enough to turn him into the police._

_Edmond Davis is sentenced to life imprisonment._

Claire knew enough, that she knew vampires were being related to witchcraft a long time ago. Maybe this would make some sense, or maybe even give them the start for what they were all looking for.

"Myrnin" she said, and stood up to hand him the article "Here, I found this."

He skimmed the article very quickly with his eyes, before it looking up to meet her eyes. "This is a very interesting article. I wonder if we have any more news concerning this Edmond? Quickly, Claire, I want you to peruse every paper and find his name. Or maybe even that Ian Baker, he seems to be interesting as well."

"Right"

She walked towards the cabinet, and faltered when she realized that it was so much taller than her, that the highest piles on top disappeared from her eyesight. She tried to look around for a ladder, hoping that this would remedy her problem. But, there was no ladder in sight. She tried to stand up to the tips of her toes, and stretched her arms with as much as she can, but her fingers were a few inches short from reaching the pile.

"Allow me" said his voice. And she stiffened, when she felt his cold body behind hers, stretch up, with his fingers easily grabbing the pile. She didn't need to turn around to know that he was directly behind her and that if she would move a few centimeters, they would again have direct skin contact.

This thought made heat rise up to her neck.

He handed her the pile, and she quickly accepted them, before walking into the furthest space away from him.

Once again, for a long while, only silence engulfed the room, but then after a while, she noticed that Myrnin stood up and without a word, left the room, leaving her to be the only person to endure the silence.

"What a jerk" she mumbled to herself, her eyes still on the door that he'd closed. Ignoring the rising panic of being the only one to work among the humongous pile of papers, she tried reading again for news about this Edmond, and the Bakers.

She sighed, when she found nothing. She carried the pile she was finished browsing, and placed them to the side. She got another pile and started reading, feeling her fingers coated with more and more dust. For a while, she continued to read, but then, she looked up, and noted that ever since Myrnin left, the room had become a bit bigger, and less constricted.

Claire was about to return to her perusing when the door opened again, and he came back. Her eyes darted to the plate he had on his hands.

"I assume you must be hungry," he said kindly, in this strange tone she never heard him use "Here. I made lunch for you"

Her stomach clenched at the word 'lunch'. She quickly stood up, and told him her thanks, before accepting the plate. It smelled divine. The thought of Myrnin making her lunch was giving her these unspeakable sensations deep within her.

"Why did you do this?" she said, after she had thoroughly emptied her plate and put them on the floor, beside the pile.

"Should everything have a reason?" he countered, as he set his newspaper down and looked at her

"You kissed me"

"Yes" he said very curtly and dismissively "Can we return to work now then?"

"Myrnin," she said, not discouraged by his lack of interest "What exactly is going between us?"

He ignored her and went back to his paper.

Suddenly, Claire had enough. She was so sick of mind games. Sylvia was already playing with her vulnerability. She would not allow Myrnin to do the same to her. She thinks he has done enough to her already.

"Look" she said again "I just want to make this perfectly clear Myrnin: this, _us,_ is never going to happen. We might feel different. We might feel something, but it is very inappropriate considering the circumstance. You're...well, a vampire. And I have Shane. I just want to let you know so that there isn't anything awkward between us."

When she found that he didn't say anything at all, but knew he heard everything perfectly, she carried three papers with her and set it down his feet. "I'm leaving now," she said, firmly "These are all articles I could find. If you need help from _your assistant _about _laboratory_ matters, just tell me. But please don't put me in this closet with you when you don't even have the courage to man up and talk to me."

And with that, she turned her back to him and twisted the door knob, feeling relief at finally putting a big space between them.

"Wait"

She turned to look at him. He was already on his feet, and was regarding her with those eyes again. These eyes had been the same eyes that looked at her before kissing her. She took a step away, setting a distance between them.

"I understand" he said very seriously, in a voice that was void of all the craziness "I understand you, human Claire. And I understand that you have no idea of what it is I feel for you."

"I do—"

"No" he cut her off "Because I don't look at you as what you assume I do, and I don't feel that way. You think me like Mr. Collins. You think that I look at you like how Mr. Collins looks at you. Well, you are mistaken. What I have for you may border to those lines, maybe even greater, but I have high regard for you Claire. I look at you as my equal, as someone who doesn't look like tonight's dinner, because I know you understand how I am. I look at you as the most precious treasure, with this delicateness and fear that I might not have you forever." He looked away, down on the floor. He was wearing the same vans, and it looked like it was made just for him with the way it fitted him with ease "It is then that I will feel loss. And I've always hated loss, girl" He met her eyes again, and this time there was no hesitation or fear. Only determination. "You are the first human to instill fear in me"

She listened to him with her head whirling. Meanwhile, pumping loudly behind her ears, was her heart.

"You do not know Claire, that the only thing I treasure in this world is my intelligence. But ever since I have met you, I was given the chance to look at the world with a new light. I regard you as my sun, if you think it possible. Maybe even a penicillin, with the greatest antipyretic and analgesic effects." He tucked his hands under his pockets calmly, his eyes unwavering as it continued to entrap hers with it "And now, do you begin to understand even a fragment of how I feel for you? If Mr. Collins is capable of loving you with all his life, I am capable of the same, but for eternity, so long as my immortality is intact."

"I—" she looked as if she had forgotten the ability of how to speak. She didn't know what to do with herself. All she knew was that escape sounded like such a good idea right now. "I—I have to go"

But he seized her wrist, and she was so taken aback that she whirled quickly back in surprise.

"I am ready" he said lowly, as he bent his head very close to hers "To fight for you"

For a while, they were only looking at each other, as his words tried to sink in her head. He told her he was willing to fight for her, and she didn't know how to take it at all. He was telling her something else with his eyes, and she was, like before, still unable to speak, it would seem that her heart had filled her entire system and was the only one capable of working.

She knew that if they stand here long enough, a kiss would transpire once again.

When the door suddenly and unexpectedly opened, they both jumped apart, and Claire felt the utmost relief.

It was Michael on the door.

"M—Michael" she sputtered "H-hey"

"Sylvia said we needed to grab supplies for tomorrow" He looked clueless enough, and Claire silently thanked the heavens that he had not overheard anything.

"Okay" she said, secretly relieved and dismayed at the same time "Let's go"

She looked at him for the last time, as she grabbed her coat. He still had his hands tucked underneath his pockets, but his eyes were just as meaningful.

She closed the door behind her, leaving him alone there on the closet while his words still etched on her mind.

_I'm ready to fight for you. I'm ready to fight for you. I'm ready to fight for you._

* * *

**A/N:** And so love is going to be a battlefield from now on! :) Thank you guys for the unwavering support. You sure know how to make someone flush with happiness.


	13. Chapter 13

The Way We Talk

Chapter 13

ooo

Claire never felt more confused in her entire life than now. She knew that she was one of those people who possesses superior intelligence, and that for her, understanding things come so naturally, almost like breathing. In fact, the need to understand and make herself more knowledgeable is like a need. If she doesn't sustain herself with science, she feels like grovelling on hot sand then dying. In short, she was a rare species what society calls today as a:_nerd_. But as she and Michael made way to the front door for their supposed departure for supplies, she found herself constantly questioning the last words Myrnin uttered to her: _I'm ready to fight for you_.

Now, see, this train of thought isn't exactly nerd material. But it brought the same thing knowledge gives her: a thrilling of the spine and a somewhat sense of exhilaration at the back of her brain at the thought of someone fighting over her. It was quite sadistic, but if you were a woman, there comes one point in your life when you want two boys to fight over you. It was silly, but it is a part of what makes us who we are. Claire's problem was that she had trouble realizing that Myrnin's very words thrilled her and saddened her at the same time.

She was thankful for the opportunity to get away from the mansion for a while, and was already convinced that she needn't think of his words for a day, tucking it at the dustiest recesses of her brain, when she heard rapt clicking of heels fast approaching them.

Michael, whose ears are far sharper than hers, already stood in attention and turned to face the person catching up to them. When he saw her alert gaze, he gave her an assuring look and said, "It's just Sylvia"

And indeed, it was. As soon as the sound of heels rounded the corner, Sylvia emerged, eyes cold and lips pursed, still looking like an angel as she did so. Claire didn't have the chance to ask what the vampire wanted, because Sylvia raised a red-manicured hand to silence her.

"I'm sorry, but unfortunately, Michael cannot come with you" she said sharply, stopping right there in front of her, eyes controlled but demanding.

"Why not?" Michael asked, surprised

Sylvia's eyes slid to his. If Claire could guess correctly, she was trying to intimidate him as much as she can. But Michael's knowledge of Sylvia as a hater of violence paid off, because he didn't back away whatsoever from her heated gaze.

"Myrnin wanted you to do something else for him. He said your strength as a newborn vampire might help." said Sylvia "And I do not see any reason not to agree"

"But why can't Myrnin do it himself?" Claire demanded. Strength? _Please_. Myrnin might come off as lanky, with long arms and legs and a not-so muscular frame, but she knew he himself had strength like steel. There was something very implausible with the excuse. What task could Michael possibly do that Myrnin couldn't? No way. The vampires are bluffing, she was almost sure.

"Because _Myrnin_ will be the one accompanying you to town this lovely morning." said a new voice.

And they all turned to see Myrnin sitting on the living room couch, looking perfectly at ease with a faint smile on his lips.

Claire narrowed her eyes at him. "Have you been there long? You _are_ acting rather creepy, you know that?" He was smart. She knew he'd get what she was trying to say to him. Hopefully, he'll get the gist that he was creeping the heck out of her today.

Myrnin scoffed as he stood up. He brushed her words with a pale hand and said, "It's not my fault your hearing is faulty and human"

From her left, she heard Michael inhale sharply.

Okay. That was it. Claire had enough of him. First, he kissed her in the forest. Then he confined her in the tight closet with him, where he practically puked out words that could conjure sweets and rainbows, and now this. He does love a scene, doesn't he?

"Well, I'm sorry but it looks like you'll be doing the task. Not Mike. He's coming with me" she said coldly to Myrnin, before grabbing Michael's arm and leading themselves both towards the main door. "Let's go, Mike"

"Stop" Sylvia and Myrnin demanded at the same time, from behind them.

"I really don't get why we're fighting over this!" Michael suddenly said to everyone, whipping his body away from the door. "Let me go, Claire" He looked fed up. And up close, Claire could see that his eyes were very tired. She let go of his arm and took a step back, embarrassed. She forgot that Michael was in a fragile state.

"Sorry"

"Look, if we're all planning to be a team tomorrow, to finish these vampire hunters, I can pretty much tell you right now that we all suck as a team." Michael's blond hair jostled as he shook his head in disappointment "And if we keep up this _suckiness_, we'll be dead long before we get them"

"Exactly" said Myrnin coolly, nodding. "Now, then. I suggest you stay here with Sylvia and do the task I assigned you, while Claire and I—" his gaze met hers, and she'd be a liar if she said she didn't feel the warmth surging up her neck at the way his face contorted into this _thing_ when he looked at her. Just as quickly, it passed and his eyes returned to Michael "collect chemicals in town for our lab work."

Michael nodded, seeing the sense of this.

Claire felt like dying. If Mike would agree to stay home, Myrnin would be the one to go with her to town. Oh good Lord, how many more of Myrnin can she endure in one day? She felt like physically combusting from frustration. She wanted to look up at the heavens and shout: _screw you, whoever you are up there!_

"Now that the matter is settled" said Sylvia, looking bored "follow me, Michael Glass"

Claire watched dejectedly as Michael gave her one final nod as he followed Sylvia. They walked the pathway leading to the basement, before their bodies disappeared below the stairs. Their disappearance was a reminder that only her and Myrnin remained on the first story, alone again.

She folded her arms around herself and refused to break the growing silence. But it looks like Myrnin had no intention of thriving into awkwardness because he immediately turned to her and tipped his head good-naturedly. "Shall we go?" he asked in a light tone

Again, she narrowed her eyes at him, speculating another of his devious actions. She tried to keep her emotions in check. God, he was confusing. And crazy. That's just what he is. She looked at his calm demeanor right now, but she knew underneath the shell is an entirely complicated guy.

"I'm not stupid, you know" she said to him with a sigh. "Before we leave, I want to know why you're coming with me instead of Michael"

He fixed her a steady gaze now, his lips stretching into a thin smile that concealed so many things. "What do you think?"

His tone made her heart flutter. But she convinced herself that he was only trying to play with her. And she, a woman of great intellect, shouldn't participate in his stupid games. There are far more important things to do than revolve herself into such nonsense.

"Answer me Myrnin" she said threateningly, hoisting her backpack—the one with the silver-coated stakes, higher up her shoulder.

He let out a small chuckle, small chunks of his breath tickling her nose, before he backed away. "Relax, Claire. There's no need to get so worked up. The only reason why Michael needs to stay here is because he is on medication. Do you realize what would happen if he is exposed to extreme sunlight while there are so many humans?"

She stood there rigidly as her mind formed the puzzle pieces together.

And of course, the obvious answer mapped out right in front of her. How could she think of such malice thoughts when all along, the reason why Myrnin chose to go with her was to protect both Michael and the town occupants? She flinched at the thought of Michael exposed to the human race, fangs bared and eyes bloodshot. That wasn't a very good mental picture.

"Why?" Myrnin broke her out of her reverie "What other reason did you have in your mind?"

At that question, she looked away. "Forget it" she said "Let's go"

Again, he bowed his head good-naturedly, seemingly contented of her response. She watched as he put on a pair of ray-ban sunglasses on, and an LA cap on top of his usually wavy hair. "It's about time. I was afraid we had to discuss the entire content of organic chemistry before we get to leave"

"Oh ha ha" she rolled her eyes as she reached for the door. "Don't forget to pull your sleeves down, or you'll burn to a crisp"

"Concerned, I see" he said to her as they started walking to towards their car. She heard the smirk in his voice. When she looked up, he was indeed wearing a smirk.

"Don't push it, boss"

"Can I just say that it is such a delight to accompany a moody lab assistant in going to town for supplies? Really. What a charming girl, you are"

She scowled at her boots. Why did he pick this day to annoy her, of all days? Oh, wait. That was _everyday._ The sound of dead leaves crunching underneath them as they walked was deafening. It felt like a stadium, where they are. Instead of cement walls though, were acres of trees and barren land. What fun.

"Oh shut up"

"If you say so, Claire" and she watched him one last time as he fished out the car keys from his sweater pocket and smiled at her, catching her off guard, because the sun's rays were reflected on his glasses, giving his face this certain glow. She knew he was never bad-looking right from the start. But him, clad in sweats and sunglasses and a cap, was a ridiculously interesting sight to see. And by interesting, she meant of course, striking.

"Stop staring" he said, snapping her out of it "Are my clothes really that _bad_?"

_On the contrary_, she wanted to say. But she didn't want to give him that pleasure. She knew how he was with compliments. He can be quite egotistical when he wanted to be. "Well it's a definite improvement from your ridiculous 1600-themed clothes." was all she said, casual and all.

He shrugged "Fine. And of course, there's no point on commenting about what you wear because somehow, whatever you wear actually looks good on you. _Get in_"

She got inside the hummer, ignoring again the fact that he actually complimented her. She looked down at her clothes. She had on worn jeans and a simple-looking green blouse that her mother gave her as a birthday present. Her eyebrows met at the corners.

Myrnin should really stop feeding her lies.

ooo

"Okay, Agenda number one..."

She looked as he fished out a long list from his jeans pocket. They were already walking along the busy street of the town, where people were loud and bustling to get to one place to another. From the far left corner were different shop stalls selling raw foods like meat and fish, vegetables and fruits. And on the right, across the road, were a series of small stores.

She would've wanted to see more of the stores, but the cacophony of sounds made her a bit dizzy. She had to keep walking with Myrnin to keep up with his long legs.

"Morganville was never this crowded" she said to him, while he was busy perusing the list.

"And never this lively either" he said, "but enough about the town, Claire. We have so many things to accomplish. Now, have you any idea where we can get all these?"

He handed her the list. And as her eyes read through all of the needed materials, she became more and more bewildered.

"Where the hell can we find 'urea nitrate and trinitrotoluene' in this place?" she hissed at him, "Do you think they will easily hand us over the ingredients for explosives like this?"

He shrugged "Who said we can't have it? If humans won't give it to us, then we can get these chemicals by force. Now, since we don't know the town that well, I suggest we walk around until we find a chemical store"

"Wait a minute" she paused, as one last thing on the list caught her eyes

"What is it?" he said, a bit impatiently

She tried to read it again and again, thinking that her eyes must've been playing with her. But when she was sure, she said "What the hell?" and she pointed at the last thing on the list that stated 'Claire's dress', in Sylvia's elegant hand writing.

"Ah" he nodded "I suppose you do have to buy a dress. I don't think you can get in the boat if you wear clothes like this" and he pointed at her worn jeans and sneakers.

She snatched the list from him as she continued to walk. "Fine! Let's go find these chemicals before we buy my stupid dress"

ooo

It was already afternoon when the both of them finally got to the bottom part of the list. Myrnin rejoiced at this thought, but Claire who was well aware of what was at the bottom most part of the list, suddenly turned brooding and moody.

Moodier than usual.

As they walked along the wide brick-laden street, Claire couldn't help but notice how women who pass by them look at Myrnin with lingering, gawking stares. At first it was quite alright, seeing as how her boss looked oblivious to the attention. But later, when there were more women who openly stared and boldly point with their fingers at the beautiful man beside her, Claire felt the slow simmer of anger settling at the base of her neck.

He was handsome. Fine. But get over it, women!

"You must love the attention right now" she said to him dryly and in a conspiratorial whisper, as they continued to walk along the bustling street. She had her eyes glued to the list but from the corners of her eyes, she was looking at the people around them.

"Hm?" she seem to have pulled him out of his thoughts "Did you say something, Claire?"

She sighed "I said, you must be loving the attention right now"

It took him a few seconds to know what it was she was talking about, but it was enough for Claire to know that he wasn't loving it at all. In fact, he was so dense, he literally cannot see the women whose breath he had taken away, metaphorically.

"Oh" and it was only then that he bent his head up and addressed the people with a searching stare. "Oh, I see." Then she watched as he arranged his posture straighter, before winking at his audience. "Well this is certainly something I can get used to. My, they simply adore me!"

She had to stifle her eyes from rolling. "Ugh" She cannot believe him. He was bat-shit crazy sometimes, a genius all the time, but she never had him pegged down as an attention whore. Maybe he was starting to become one. Good Lord.

"Well the audience may be quite entertaining" he said to her, as they walked further on "but I'd prefer only one girl to look at me like that" And without warning, he placed one arm around her shoulders and pressed both of their bodies together, side by side.

"What are you doing?" she hissed as she tried to pull away from his grasp. She can feel his palms pressing lightly on her right shoulder, but his arm was too strong for her to get away from. "Get your hands off me, Myrnin!"

He shrugged "I was merely trying to give all these lovely ladies a sign that they needed to back off. That was what you wanted, didn't you?"

She flushed. Did she want them to back off? At the back of her brain she knew the honest answer, but admitting it out loud would be like making a pact with the devil. So she said, "No! I just want this tiring trip to be over. I know it won't be over soon enough if you get all sorts of distractions. But that's all"

He gave her a look that told her she was busted, but he didn't say anything and only gave her a gentle yet crazy-looking smile as they continued to walk on, his arm remained resting around her shoulders.

ooo

When they entered the fancy-looking boutique called Huntington's, right at the middle of the bustling town, Claire was immediately blinded by the endless racks and racks of dresses in all shades of color imaginable. The entire left wall of the shop was made of mirrors. When she looked at her own reflection, looking so sweaty and rugged, dressed in all around pants and a long-sleeve shirt, she immediately felt under-dressed. Meanwhile, reflected just right behind her was Myrnin who looked comfortable and appraising.

"Well this is certainly something" he said to her as his eyes looked around, past the pastel colored cushions and small, intricately shaped tables that held French macaroons and china cups and saucers.

"Huh" was all she said, as she continued to walk around.

"Well hello there, miss! How may I help you?" said one of the shop attendant. Claire smiled at her and tried to ignore the fact that even the helper was better dressed than her.

"Yes" said Claire a bit uncertainly "Um, I'm looking for a dress?"

The attendant raised a well-plucked eyebrow. "I see" she said dryly "Have you figured out what sort?"

Claire considered for a moment, then said "not really"

Good Lord, she was bad at this. Normally, she was very good with putting clothes together. But she never had the manual for what to wear during fancy balls on boats. What was she suppose to say anyway? _Excuse me, but do you have a dress that's appropriate for whenever you attend a ball on a fancy VIP boat? Oh, and can you make it appropriate for running? We're also going to fight vampire hunters on the way, you see. K, thanks bye._

She sighed "Um, how about a cocktail dress? Something that has a lot of room for the legs?"

Now that was a start, she said to herself confidently. Running was certainly going to happen.

"Tell you what," said the assistant kindly, seeming to understand that Claire was in a dilemma and was feeling overwhelmed by so many clothing merchandise "how about you first find a dress that you like, and I can come back later and find other dresses that are similar to the ones you picked? That way, we can narrow the choices down"

Claire nodded in relief "Yes, please. And thank you"

When the shop assistant left, Claire walked further on the shop, her hands trailing along the soft cloth of the garments. It was really hard not to feel overwhelmed. In Morganville, she rarely shopped for clothes. And if she did, the choices were very limited, thus easy. But this was like a hunt. A very stupid yet intimidating and complicated hunt. Yep, she was definitely in Girl's world right now.

A silver dress caught her eye. When she removed it from the rack, she winced. The neckline was plunging, and the back was very bare. Nope. Definitely not. She returned it back with disappointment.

The dress grabbing then returning continued on for quite a while, until she heard a small sigh behind her.

"How hard can this task be?" said Myrnin from behind her, "Just grab a dress and buy it. There, done"

She shook her head at him, laughing inwards at his naivety at circumstances like these. "That's not how women do it, Myrnin"

He sighed again "Fine. Let me help." His eyes searched the rack for a moment, before grabbing one dress and holding it out to her "How about... _this_?"

She winced as soon as she noted that he picked out a canary yellow dress sewed with too much sequins at the top and bottom. "Unless I want to defeat the hunters by blinding them with all these weirdness, no thank you" she took the dress from him and returned it to the rack.

"I don't understand how this can be such a tedious task" he said, as they continued to walk to another rack. "People can certainly learn a thing or two from me when it comes to choosing clothes"

She shook her head, laughing. "I don't think so." she said. He actually believed he would do humanity a favour if he teaches them all how to dress! Ha. Myrnin _does_ have a sense of humor.

Claire spotted another dress. This time, it was a mixture of pinks and violets, and strapless. What made it more alluring was the thin band of silver glistening right at the middle, as if to act as a belt. Then to another side, she saw a red and black one, equally cute and short. But there were less glitter and more layering. Then another one, was an ice blue color that had the most intricate of details. The small flowers and diamonds were expertly spread to make the sides noticeable.

"This is not fair" she grumbled "This is why I hate shopping for clothes. There are too many cute ones, it's so hard to decide"

Myrnin picked them up for her and held it at arms length. "Try them on, Claire"

She eyed the three dresses and contemplated. She pursed her lips as internal thoughts battled at what was the best one. But after a short moment, she still cannot decide. "Fine. Give them all to me"

The assistant finally came back after seeing Claire hold three dresses. She offered to carry the garments as she lead Claire and Myrnin to the changing room. "I see you picked out sweetheart dresses"

"A what?" Claire and Myrnin said together.

The assistant smiled condescendingly at the both of them. "Never mind"

Before Claire closed the dressing room's door shut, she saw the assistant leading Myrnin to a chair and offering him macaroons and tea as he waited. She locked the door with a small smile on her lips.

ooo

"This is a really interesting French pastry" Myrnin said to the assistant as he waited for Claire to come out of the dressing room. He eyed the round, brightly colored sweets before taking one and pretending to eat the sides.

She offered him what seems to be a dazzling smile. "Thank you sir. It is our goal to make our customers feel comfortable. I am glad you are enjoying yourself"

"Mmm..." he said absently, eyes now far away. He placed the pastry right below his nose to cover the smell of blood wafting from the assistant who was standing merely five feet away.

Claire doesn't know it, but there was a growing thirst threatening to overcome his senses. And he knew, that if he doesn't control it, he would risk exposing himself to the general public. Right now, everyone within a few feet radius was in danger. It would only take a tiny more scent of blood to fill his nostrils, before he'd loose it.

"Claire, are you going to take a while in there?" he called out to her.

"Yeah" she said back to him, from the other side of the door, her voice muffled by some garments. "Just sit and wait. I'll be out in a minute"

"Hmm..." he said again, hating that he couldn't exactly voice out to her what he needed.

"Sir" piped up the assistant, looking giddily at him, as if eager to please and be approved of. "Have you tried our tea? This is an exotic blend right from the mountains of China" and at once, even before Myrnin could reply, she walked over to him and poured some tea into a cup and saucer and handed it to him with a bright smile.

"No, thank you" he said, in a constricted voice. He tried not to breathe too much. But if she was going to stand this close to him, he might not be able to resist.

"I insist" said the woman, walking even closer now. Closer than what was necessary for a customer and assistant. "A tiny sip will make you feel right at home"

"Very well" he took the cup and saucer from her hand, taking great care no to breath. But as soon as their skins touched, an immediate shot of need pooled at the base of his throat. He looked at the woman and smiled predatorily at her.

And then it happened for a millisecond, but he can see everything. Her veins were pulsing, and the rich blood that travels through it was rich and sweet-smelling. He knew it would taste so much better than the French pastry. All it would take was a tiny invitation to go out the back, and there he would pretend to kiss her neck, as if in affection, and slowly, his fangs would come out and descend upon her, tasting fresh blood that he longed to taste for such a long time.

No one had to know. Especially not Claire. It would be very easy. It wouldn't take a minute.

The woman mistook his staring as flirting. She giggled at him softly, while pressing a palm to his arm. "You are very handsome"

"And _you_ are certainly striking for a woman" he said to her in a quiet voice "Would you like to come meet me out the back?"

Yes. Myrnin would lure her towards him. A predator acting as prey.

She giggled again. "Sure"

What a foolish girl. He can almost taste victory on his lips. Her easy agreement made things so much more exciting for him.

Myrnin really would have done it, he would have taken her hands in his and feel the rushing of blood through her heart, and devouring it in a few seconds, if Claire hadn't come out of the dressing room.

At once, the assistant stepped away, clearing her throat in embarrassment, and Myrnin slumped back in his chair, unable to take his eyes off his laboratory assistant.

"Well?" Claire said, looking a bit doubtful as she walked towards him. "How's this?"

She stood, awkward-looking and a bit embarrassed, a small pool of blood rushing in the middle of her soft cheeks. She looked extraordinary in the ice blue dress. Someone that could only come from classic sculpture and painting masterpieces. This time, he needn't hold his breath, because she took it away from him.

She _actually_ took his breath away. Huh.

At last, he finally understood what Shane Collins saw in her that he never saw before. He was so attracted to her mind, her abilities and mannerisms, that he had forgotten the simple pleasure of life: looking at beauty as a whole.

"Perfect" was all he said, before rushing out of the dress shop.

He can't do this. He cannot disappoint Claire by taking an assistant out the back and drinking her blood. He cannot disappoint himself, either. He needed to discipline who he is from the temptations.

Both Claire and the assistant looked at each other in astonishment.

"What's up with him?" Claire said, raising an eyebrow. "He's acting weird"

"I don't know" said the assistant with a sigh, looking oddly disappointed "you tell me"

ooo

"Did you use my gold card to pay the charges?" asked Myrnin, who was waiting for her outside in a bench with a shelter, as she walked out of Huntington's and into broad daylight. The street was busy and hot as ever. Myrnin was smart enough to cover his face with a cap and roll down his sleeves.

She smiled. "Yeah, I did. Thanks. That was very gallant of you" The small fancy bag labelled 'Huntington's' was strapped on her wrist as they walked on, swaying back and forth in all its blue pastel glory.

"Oh well" He shrugged, brushing the compliment off "Do we have everything, then? Can we go home now?"

"Not just yet" she said, grinning "We have to get _you_ your suit"

His eyes widened. Quickly, he grabbed the list and scanned it. She knew it wasn't listed there, but it was a very necessary undertaking. "What? Is that really necessary? I can wear my—"

"You cannot wear anything you own, okay? You'll freak everyone out on the boat if you do"

"What was _that_ suppose to mean?" He said in a harsh, yet insulted tone.

She grabbed his hand out of impulse, laughing as she did so "Come on. Let's get you something dashing"

His hand tightened on hers. He smiled at her. She smiled back, and saw her own reflection from his sunglasses. Her eyes were so alive and bright, it was hard not to admire their size. And her cheeks were this rich pinkish color. Whether it's due to the hot temperature, or their sudden unexpected hand-holding, Claire decided not to question it.

She only continued to hold his hand as they perused the street for a shop suited for Myrnin's need.

ooo

The sound of jingling wind chimes greeted them as soon as they entered the shop. Inside, was a cosy little reception area, and the rest of the store just behind a small walkway. Every interior was decidedly marble. The walls were impeccably painted a white color. The floor reflected the overhead glare of a small chandelier from the ceiling. From the sides, are white waiting chairs encrusted with diamonds. mainly for the use of decoration than for sitting, judging from the fact that no one actually sat there because the store was out in the back.

A blond woman looked up and gave them a beckoning grin. When Claire and Myrnin walked up to her, she said "Hello! How may I help you today?"

"Yes, hi" said Claire, again overwhelmed by the lavish interior and the fact that she and Myrnin were so embarrassingly under-dressed. She gave the pretty woman a small smile before pointing at the vampire beside him. "He and I are going to a formal party tomorrow evening and I was wondering what kind of suit would be appropriate for him for the event?"

It did not go amiss to her, how the woman's pupils immediately dilated as soon as she looked at Myrnin. "Of course!" she said perkily, if not a bit flustered at the sight of him. "We have all kinds of suits for him to wear, but judging from his frame—" she eyed him up and down for what was an unnecessarily long time "he is thin, well-built and tall. The European cut suit would be perfect"

Claire nodded "That's really helpful. Thank you"

The woman smiled once again as she stood and led them to the store at the back of the walkway "Please, follow me."

"Do you even know what a European cut is?" said Myrnin as they walked in the small walkway and towards the brightly lit roomful of suits. He looked doubtful and apprehensive as he followed Claire further in the shop. His knotted eyebrows were enough proof of his discomfort. He eyed the room that was oddly reminiscent to that of the previous dress shop they were in.

"Oh shut up" she said, but not too harshly. She was enjoying herself too much to be annoyed with him. Not to mention, a little excited. Seeing her boss in a suit would be like looking at a brand new sun that gives off a whole new light.

The shop was small, yet very organized. Instead of endless racks distributing itself around the room, the suits were lined up against the walls by thin clothing racks. The middle part served as the sitting area where once again, have the white waiting chairs encrusted with diamonds.

"Let me help you find an example of a European cut" said the woman, walking along the sides and trailing her finger against the fabric of the garment. She took enough care to look as carefully as she can, before holding out a hanger for a light silver suit. "Ah, I think these will be nice"

She handed Myrnin the hanger, not without a flutter of her eyelids and a grand smile. "Here you go _cutie_"

Oh boy, Claire thought.

Myrnin took them politely, having enough wits in him to appear interested at least. "Marvelous choice." he said calmly "But would you mind if I circle around the store for a while? I'd like to be made aware of my own preferences thank you."

The woman blinked thrice, a look of complete astonishment displayed on her face. "Um—of course, sir. Please don't hesitate to call on me if you need anything else"

"I will keep that in mind, thank you for your help" and he bowed like a complete gentleman, smiling at her politely. Claire would've wanted to point out to him that he looked completely ridiculous with his formalities when he was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans if she wasn't too pre-occupied with wonder as to why he sent the assistant away.

"What the heck was that about?" Claire said, as soon as the woman was out of ear-shot. "She really knows this stuff. Why did you send her away?"

"_Look at me_" he said quietly, in that haunting tone that never failed to make the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.

"Oh shit" she muttered. He was hungry. His eyes were enough evidence to this sudden development. Quickly, she reached for her backpack and tossed him his blood pouch. She tried not to wince as he tore through the plastic with his teeth and made quick gulping sounds as he sucked through the bag.

"More?" he said, his eyes now a dull red.

She tossed him one more bag. This time, he drank slowly, savoring the taste. Out of politeness, and of sheer awkwardness, she sat on the chair and stared at the floor for a while. When she returned to looking at him, he already disposed of the pouches. And his eyes were the normal brown orbs once again.

"Better?" she said in a small voice

"It would _be_ better if I take them fresh" he said in a matter-of-fact voice that made Claire wrinkle her nose in distaste "That woman assisting us has the loveliest smell. It didn't help either, that as soon as she took sight of me, her heartbeat went overdrive. But two pouches would do. Now, where were we?"

"Here" she handed him the suit "You were suppose to try these on."

It was his turn to look at her with distaste. "That looks absolutely boring" She watched him with a bit of frustration as he roamed around the racks until he pulled out a new hanger. "This?"

The suit has a brown-colored plaid design all over it. It looked horrifying.

She tried her best to smile, as to not hurt his feelings. Even if she didn't know a lot about suit formalities, she had enough wits in her to know it would look absolutely foolish on him. Not that he would mind, he was just that type of guy who loved horrifying clothes and thought they were fashionable.

"Um, how about you find another one?" she suggested, her smile freezing on her lips. "Something that is actually wearable in this millennium?"

He shrugged and put it back on the rack, seemingly unaffected of her remarks. "Fine. How about this?"

Again, he held out another strange choice. This time, it was a tailcoat suit colored a dark green, with unnecessary buttons to serve as 'embellishments'.

"Myrnin" she said with a small sigh, stifling the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Look, will you just try this suit on?" she held up once again the suit that the assistant suggested. It was by far the most sensible choice for him.

"But why?" he said, sounding just a tad bit whiny. His eyebrows met at the middle in befuddlement. "My choices are extremely remarkable!"

"Because you choose terrible clothes!" she snapped, fed up. She grabbed his arm and was actually able to guide him to a dressing room. "Here" she said, as she thrust the suit unto his arms. "Now go try it on and don't you dare say anything more about your weird suit preferences or I swear to God I'll put a stake through your chest"

"That is a pretty graphic picture" he said, with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "But very well, since you asked so _passionately_." He took the suit into his arms and started walking towards the dressing room lithely.

"Yeah? Well it won't be a picture for long if you don't keep moving" she threatened sourly.

"Alright, alright" he said in a condescending tone "But why I listen to you is beyond me. We spent an approximately long time at Huntington's to find you your dress, and I've been nothing but patient. But here, you act so—"

"Myrnin"

He smiled. "Fine" and with that, he closed the door behind him.

As she waited a bit impatiently for him to finish, she contemplated about their little town adventure for today. It was quite funny, how things turned out this way. Last night, he'd kissed her there in a deep part of the forest. And just earlier this morning, he told her something that equally thrilled and saddened her.

Of course, it didn't help either that she had reached a sort of epiphany about how she felt for him. It was a foolish little crush. But right now, she wasn't sure by how much percentage that crush escalated into something more. This used to be such a harmless endeavor, liking him for his eccentricities. But now, it was so hard. He was eccentric and brilliant, yes. But he was something else now, too. A person that had a new completely added puzzle.

It was as if as soon as she finished solving him out, he gives her another puzzle to solve. He was so complex. Just like the different branches of Chemistry.

Suddenly, she was brought back to last night's events. The feel of his lips on hers actually made her insides tingle in this frenzied way once again, the way forbidden kisses aren't suppose to be felt. It fueled up the need to feel it once more. His deft lips, that always let out snarky yet witty and brilliant observations, against hers, inducing jelly legs sensations that could potentially turn her into a puddle of goo.

Was it just her, or did the room suddenly feel hot?

"Claire, is something wrong?" said Myrnin, still inside the dressing room. "Your heart beat turned abnormally fast all of a sudden"

She almost jumped when she heard him. "Stop eavesdropping on my heartbeat" she said, masking her unease with annoyance "And nothing's wrong. Keep dressing"

"I'm actually done" he said on the other side "but I am having trouble knotting the tie. Can you be of assistance?"

"oh, sure"

He went out of the dressing room with hesitation, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his trousers.

"Ta-da?" he said halfheartedly.

And Claire just stood there for God knows how many seconds, just soaking him in, in all his suit-wearing, glory. The color light grey really made wonders to his pale skin. Instead of looking like a sickly, abnormal-looking alabaster, he actually kind of glowed in a way that no clothing did before.

_Yep. _The room _definitely_ felt hotter.

"What?" he said, misinterpreting her silence. "I look absolutely horrendous, don't I? What a silly colour! And boring too. It looks so washed-out."

"N-No!" she said, shaking her head. "You look really nice"

He raised an eyebrow, still apprehensive "How nice?"

"Fine" she sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat "You look absolutely _dashing_. Don't make me say that again, Myrnin. I know how egotistical you can be when faced with these kinds of compliments"

He actually grinned at her, his teeth minus the fangs, displayed for her to see. And just like that, the room suddenly turned brighter. He handed her the tie. "Help me put this on then? To make me more..._dashing?_"

She rolled her eyes at him a she grabbed the tie. "Don't push it boss"

She stepped closer to him, and wrapped the tie around the collar. "You're lucky, I know how to tie a tie" she said, as her hands continued to work on tying the garment. "My dad used to ask me to do this for him all the time because that's what he wears to work. It's kind of fun."

He stood still and tried not to perturb the atmosphere they were in, as of the moment. She was standing very close to him, that he can smell her faint scent, and feel the actual exhalation of carbon dioxide from her nose. As she continued to explain to him about her father, and he listened with his rapt ears, his eyes where examining her very closely.

Claire's eyes were very animated. The way they always would when she makes a scientific discovery. And the pooling of blood on her cheeks made him feel this great surge of want and need at the same time. Her smile as well, was very ensnaring to the senses, her lips pulled upwards, forming little lines at the sides.

She was a sight to behold. If he had to live a millennium for this sight, he would. Because it was well worth it.

"There" she said, "done"

She didn't fail to notice the intensity of his gaze when she tied the tie around his collar. It made her uncomfortable. But also, a larger part of her wanted to look back into those big brown eyes and just stare and maybe get lost into them.

She took a step back, her smile waning. "Now you look extra dashing."

He walked in front of the mirror and examined himself. "It's not bad" he agreed.

Silence.

She looked away from him and took a seat in one of the chairs, fearing that if she didn't, she would actually embarrass herself with some ridiculous behaviour in front of him. Even if he was the king of ridiculous sometimes.

"Claire?" he said, and he walked towards her, while she felt the air getting more and more tangible with whatever atmosphere was forming. "I was thinking...that since we're having such a nice day together. Maybe we can—I don't know, perhaps end it well? What do you say to a nice dinner with me?" he sat next to her and picked up her hand.

Her heart wasn't helping with the matter. It went on thumping quickly inside her ribcage, traitorously signalling to Myrnin that the thought of dinner excited her. Was he asking her out on a date? Is he crazy?

Just before she can say something, her cell phone rang. Funny, but it actually sounded more like a timer. As if to say, _Time's up! _

She retrieved her hand from his grasp and unzipped her backpack, fishing for her phone.

Yes, it was definitely a timer. A timer that reminded her she had a boyfriend. Because displayed on the screen was Shane Collins, calling her.

* * *

**A/N:**Get ready for an action-packed chapter next time. Thank you once again for the support, it is much appreciated! :)


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